[1 vs 1] WTB Spar Lessons (Terra/Kari/Roch)

[Ice Queen]

"I do not see why you dragged Papa all the way out here to show me that," Terra complained as she and her much taller brother headed to the gym. Each had their weapon out. Roch carried his in his usual fashion, holding it by the headstock and resting the neck on his shoulder. Terra carried hers more properly, since she had tried carrying it like he did and knew it looked stupid when it was her.

"Because y'needed t'learn to sharpen it properly, and he's the best with a grinder in the family--you don't learn it by just jumpin' in with no clue what you're doing," he told her. "Just like y'don't learn t'fight by standin' in front of the gym begging random strangers to spar with you! That waits until AFTER you learn some moves!"

"Si, si," Terra said, looking irritated. "You are a bully," she declared.

"No callin' me a bully when I'm goin' t'teach you to fight," Roch said. "We'll start with the basics, since I FINALLY got y'in some pants," he adds, looking down at the rather poofy looking pants she was wearing, "sort of."

"So are you going to spar with me?"

"Nah, what we need is someone closer t'your level," he said, looking around. "I'll teach both of you."

Myoukin

Here we go! Just reply as usual and we'll start the dice rolling when everything's ICly set up^^

 

[Myoukin]

"This isn't getting me anywhere", Kari groaned as she stared at the staff in her hands. She knew what she wanted to do, but something wasn't lining up somewhere between her thoughts and her staff. It wasn't a big surprise considering she hadn't been a student for very long, but the young reaper had hoped she'd at least be able to fire off a magic shot and actually get close to her target. At this rate, she was seriously going to need some help or she would become the laughing stock of her year.

As she contemplated what she could do about her situation, a pair of voices outside caught her attention. Peering around the corner, she saw two creeple coming up the walkway carrying instrument-like weapons, one being a tall boil with a purple mohawk, and the other a smaller blonde-haired ghoul with some interesting facial art. Were they coming to train? Maybe she could watch what they were doing and pick up some pointers from them? Or even better, maybe she could ask them for pointers...

"Just like y'don't learn t'fight by standin' in front of the gym begging random strangers to spar with you! That waits until AFTER you learn some moves!"

A snippet of the boil's conversation as they drew closer to the Kari caused her mind to freeze in its tracks. That had been almost exactly what she'd been about to do! So she needed to learn how to fight before she could ask for someone to train with her? But in order to learn how to fight, she needed someone to train with her. It was definitely a conundrum... one that the ghoul was ill equipped to solve considering she wasn't very social... at all.

As her internal struggle raged on, the pair outside continued their conversation:

"So are you going to spar with me?"

"Nah, what we need is someone closer t'your level. I'll teach both of you."

So... they were looking for someone? Could she ask? But that would be begging for a partner, and she wasn't supposed to do that!

While she'd been thinking, the pair had been advancing toward where she stood... right next to the doorway, clutching her wooden staff. She totally looked like a beggar!

As the pair walked through the doorway, she flailed in her attempt to retreat and only succeeded falling flat on her face. Great, now she looked like a beggar and a klutz. Picking herself up off the ground, she turned around and let out a nervous chuckle as she tried to think of a way to save some face.

"Ah...I probably looked really stupid just now..." she sighed, "I... I'm Kari, I just enrolled here recently... though that's probably not difficult to figure out." She couldn't very well bother them after that display. "Don't mind me, I was just finishing up my... practice...", the ghoul trailed off, her eyes so fixed on the bulky end of her staff that it may well have caught fire. She didn't want to bother them, but she needed to do something or else she'd never get out of her rut. "Erm... you... you wouldn't mind if I watched... would you?"

Ice Queen

Alright, Kari's a little wordy with her inner monologue, but I think I covered all the bases~

 

[Ice Queen]

Roch was about to help her up when she picked herself up and introduced herself. After a second--no, I'm lying, he didn't think at all. "No point in watchin' when you can join us!" he said. "If y'don't mind Terra here bein' a year above you, that is."

"Hola! Are you okay?" Terra asked, rushing forward and reaching for the other ghoul's hands. "You did not hurt yourself when you fell, did you? We can, perhaps, heal any bruises you might have gained!"

"Let's leave the healin' to after the spar, sis," Roch said, dropping an arm over her shoulder. "It's nice t'meet you, Kari, let me introduce myself. I'm Roch Scythe, an' this is my little sister, Terra. I'm an alumni, if you're wonderin," he added with a grin. "Welcome to Amity, by the way."

"Please do spar with me! I will be utterly embarrassed if I am to spar against him," Terra said. "And I do need a partner."

Myoukin

 

[Myoukin]

Kari didn't know what to say. She'd just made a complete fool of herself, yet these two treated it like a normal conversation. The ghoul, Terra, had even grabbed her hand and asked to spar. With Kari. A ghoul who's only merit so far was to hit everything but her target and face plant into the floor for her introduction.

"Thank you... that would be great... I would love to be your sparring partner!", she replied, clutching her staff close to her while trying to keep herself from getting emotional. Was everyone here this friendly? If so, there may be hope for her after all!

"So... I know the basic jist of 'attack your target and avoid their attacks', but outside of that, I don't really know much... is there any special protocol or formality for a spar?" Kari asked with her head slightly cocked to the side.

Ice Queen

 

[Ice Queen]

"Well, first off, we should be in the gym," Roch said. "It's best t'be in a place that's set up t'send you directly t'the pumpkin patch if y'accidentally dissipate," he said, motioning for both of the ghouls to go in.

"Si, and when you get in, the fastest one attacks first!" Terra said cheerfully. "Then we take turns attacking one another--or trying to. I miss. A lot."

"Which is why we'll be workin' on aim an' attack styles," Roch said as they got to the gym. "Now face off--y'both have a somewhat short weapon, don'tcha?" he asked, looking at Kari's staff thoughtfully. "Regardless--that bit of extra reach will help when fightin' non-armed creeple. I'm going to show you a few basic swings that both of you should be able t'pick up quickly."

He brought up his guitar, swinging it lazily by the neck before tightening his hold. "Simplest move is the ax swing. Both hands on the handle, one above the other. Y'can adjust the swing by adjusting your hold, like this." He showed them a few different swings. "Aim for the vitals--head, gut, balls, an' knees."

Yes, he was teaching yet more ghouls to aim at balls. He was terrible like that.

Myoukin

Now this is usually where we each roll a 1d20, and whoever rolls higher gets to attack first, but if you'd like to see an example, I can have Terra attack first my next post^^

 

[Myoukin]

"Ah, I've heard about that... that's when you're received too much damage for your body to handle, and that frequent dissipation can lead to negative side effects", Kari mused, thinking back a book she'd read a while ago. Dying didn't sound like a fun endeavor, so the escort into the gym was gladly taken.

"I'll probably be right there with you, Terra... before you got here, I was actually practicing on some training dummies... with little success..." she chuckled, turning to look at the remnants of her training: a single dummy, slightly singed on its shoulder, with signs of numerous scorch marks littering the area around it.

As Roch explained how to hold a weapon for a swing, Kari moved along with him, placing her left hand over her right while placing her feet into a shoulder-distance "T stance". Taking a practice swing, she found the end of her swing throwing her off balance. Adjusting her back right foot, she took another swing, finding some improvement. This would work... she might even be able to hit something...

"Aim for the vitals--head, gut, balls, an' knees."

Kari's stance faltered as a bright blush appeared on her face... she was actually allowed to aim for the crotch? She'd kicked a bully there once, but it looked like it really hurt. And she'd gotten told off afterwards. "I... might want to hold off on crotch shots for now... at least until I get a bit of control", the ghoul replied as she tried to regain some composure. She couldn't very well spar if she was too busy being flustered.

"So... do we just go at one another now?", Kari asked, feeling a bit tense now that their spar was drawing near.

Ice Queen

The initiative roll. I think I got that, I just need to wait for your roll and whoever's higher goes first, then we take turns attacking one another and defending.

 

[Ice Queen]

"We'll start out that way," Roch agreed. "Now remember, y'wanna learn t'move when you attack--if you just stand there an' hit, your opponent will definitely see it comin. Now for a heavy hitter like a monster, that can work sometimes, but you're both reapers--an' small ones, at that. You need the momentum t'put some weight behind the hit."

"Okay," Terra said, stretching slightly and swinging her violin. "I will try!

Myoukin

Unless I roll a 1, I'll be posting right after this^^

 

[Ice Queen]

Terra ran forward, swinging her violin with an underhand move, trying to hit the other ghoul. Maybe. The sharpened body of the violin barely hit the other ghoul's FEAR shield--but it hit. That was the important part!

"I hit!" she said excitedly.

"If you were fightin' against a major player, that wouldn't even count as a glance," Roch told her, completely popping her happy bubble--well, almost.

"But I hit, regardless!" Terra said, standing there with a proud look on her face.

"And y'don't just STAND there after hittin' someone--it's basically lettin' them take their time swingin' at you!" Roch said, shaking his head with reluctant amusement.

Terra's HP: 40/40
DMG: 2

Myoukin

 

[Myoukin]

Kari gasped as Terra rushed forward with unexpected speed. Fortunately, the reaper mage was had been waiting for something to happen and was prepared to move, but it didn't look like she'd be able to dodge completely. Bracing herself for the hit, she was surprised to see the attack graze a shield in front of her. Was this the fear shield she'd read about? With this, she'd be afforded at least some protection from direct attacks, but it could still be destroyed if it took too much damage.

Upon landing, the ghoul used her backward momentum to coil herself up, then spring forward. Lashing out with her staff, she only managed to graze Terra's own shield due to her poor aim. Coming to a sliding stop a few feet away from her opponent, Kari turned and let out a sigh.

"Reading about fighting and an actually fighting really are like night and day. I'm starting to see why I wasn't getting anywhere by myself", she said with a half smile, brandishing her staff in front of her once more.

Kari's HP: 28/30
DMG: 2

Ice Queen

 

[Ice Queen]

"Keep both hands on the neck and your eyes on your target--what you're lookin' at is what you're gonna hit--hopefully," Roch called as Terra swung her violin. It hit the other ghoul's FEAR shield a bit more heavily, and she let out a little grin.

She didn't want to admit Roch's simple instructions are helping out at all--he had too big of an ego as it is. Instead she jumped back a few feet, more dancing than running in her way of moving. "This could be fun!" she admitted to the other ghoul, getting excited. "We will become great warriors in no time!"

She absolutely ignored Roch's shoulders shaking with laughter. At least he wasn't rude enough to laugh aloud!

Terra's HP: 38/40
DMG: 4

Myoukin

 

[Myoukin]

Kari flinched as her shield took another hit. Attempting to use the close proximity, the ghoul swung her staff in hopes of landing a counter-blow. She grimaced as the other reaper jumped back and Kari's staff only managed another glancing blow against Terra's shield.

In the background, Kari heard Roch's instruction and nodded her head. Look where you aim. Her opponent was a very agile reaper ghoul, recklessly swinging her staff around wouldn't be enough, She needed to pay closer attention to Terra's movements if she was going to stand a chance.

Kari couldn't help but chuckle when the painted ghoul addressed her. She looked like she was dancing more than dodging around. "True... but we have to be able to consistently hit a target before we can become great warriors." Taking a few hops, she set herself for her next move.

Kari's HP: 24/30
DMG: 2

Ice Queen

 

[Ice Queen]

"Doin' good, Kari," Roch said. "You've got the right idea!"

Terra tried her best to scowl as she ran forward and swung her violin--again, it was a dance move, but it put a decent amount of momentum behind the hit! She was actually surprised when it hit the ghoul's shield so hard. She was more surprised when she saw Roch's expression turn sharp, a wicked little grin pulling on his lips.

"I see," he said, almost to himself. "Kari, here's a question--d'ya dance?"

Terra's HP: 36/40
DMG: 5

Myoukin

 

[Myoukin]

"Ahh", Kari gasped as the impact of Terra's violin made a sharp crack against her shield. By the time she'd recovered from the shock, her target had already gotten well out of range. Before she could decide whether to try for the attack anyway, the ghoul was stopped by a question.

Did she dance? She'd had a passing interest at one point when she was younger, but had never gotten to the point where she wanted to pursue dance as a hobby. "No... though with the way Terra moves, I may want to look into it more thoroughly", she replied, a little embarrassed at her own clunky movements.

Kari's HP: 19/30
DMG: 0

Ice Queen

 

[Ice Queen]

"Nah, what you need is somethin' y've done for years--you like any sports?" Roch asked as Terra paused to look at him curiously.

"So it is dancing?" she asks. "As in I do a twist and a spin and it can be an attack?" she asked, twisting her body before spinning quickly, her violin coming out at the last moment to hit the other ghoul's FEAR shield once again. She jumped back after hitting, her eyes huge with excitement. "Why did you not tell me this before?" she demanded.

"Because that's not how I fight," Roch said. "I didn't think of it workin' for you," he admitted. "We just need t'figure out what'll work for Kari, now." Because otherwise it would look as if he was just letting his little sister beat on her, which would be SO wrong.

Terra's HP: 36/40
DMG: 4

Myoukin

Sorry for the slow, today was p. busy for me.

 

[Myoukin]

"Sports? Not unless you count Ghoul Scouts... ah!" Kari had been caught off guard while she'd been pondering the question. Attempting to swing her staff for a counter, her face scrunched up in frustration when it only met air. How could she be this bad? Was it really just because she didn't participate in activities that required constant exercise? She knew that just learning about fighting in theory wouldn't be enough, but she figured as long as she had some stamina and her magic, she would have been fine. Looking at the current situation proved this logic was very flawed.

"It might be that I just need to bridge the gap between book knowledge and first-hand experience. And the best way to do that is to experience a fight first hand", the ghoul called out while tightening her grip. She wouldn't get better right away and couldn't let herself get depressed, she just had to think of this fight as a stepping stone. The knowledge was there, now she just needed to apply it.

Kari's HP: 15/30
DMG: 0

Ice Queen

No problem, I'm just over here botching all my dice rolls xd