Tranquil as a Forest, But on Fire! ...Just on fire.

[shepherd_prince]

WHO: Chrom, his new band of 'Shepherds', OPEN
WHAT: Now that there's a new team working together for the sake of the greater good, their first task is to beat the shit out of each other gather and spar, to better learn the skills, strengths, and weaknesses of their future allies on the battlefield. There may be shenanigans, there may not. But there will definitely be friendships of at least C-Rank by the end of this session.
WHEN: October 18th, 8 a.m.
WHERE: Training Hall
NOTES: Feel free to tag as many (or as few) sparring partners as you like. Chrom will be watching to take note of which people work best together for future reference. If you want him to come by and give feedback after a session, feel free to say so at the end of the spar!


The largest room of the training center had been specially reserved for Chrom and his assembled team. Kulevi was hovering just outside the front doors to direct Heroes to the proper location, advising them to stop by the armory if they needed to pick up any equipment for the training session. There weren't any refreshments, not yet, but Kulevi hinted that there might be sandwiches and punch once they concluded their sparring with one another.

Once everyone had arrived, Chrom greeted them with a smile. "I'm glad so many of you were able to attend. Given the warning we received a few days ago, I plan to have us conclude well before the appointed time if you wish to act upon that anonymous tip. In the meantime, let us begin." He produced a small tin can that rattled in his hand. "Inside are pairs of marbles with matching colors. Draw a marble, and find the person whose marble matches yours. This will be your first sparring partner. After ten minutes, the bell will ring and you will switch to someone new. Please take some time to introduce yourselves, and decide if you wish to spar with real weapons and spells, or if you would rather make use of the blunted and wooden practice weapons.

"We'll take a fifteen-minute break after three rounds. It is my hope that, by the end of our training regimen, we will all have a better understanding and appreciation of one another." He walked down the line, holding out the can to allow each person to draw a marble. When everyone had drawn, Chrom himself took the last one. He was not exempt from this exercise either.

Comments

Pyrrha

[pole_position]

[Pyrrha has her Custom Job equipped alongside Gunner at the moment, and is equipped with a shield and a weapon that can switch between javelin, short sword, and rifle forms in the blink of an eye.]

[shepherd_prince]

[Chrom's aware he might be at a disadvantage against Pyrrha if she elects to keep her long-range weapons. She's a skilled fighter as well, and he's not 100% sure what she's capable of just at the moment. This training exercise will be good for him as well as the others.]

Let us begin.

[Rather than move to attack, he actually plays it smart for a change, casting Protect to bolster his defenses.]

[pole_position]

[Likewise, Pyrrha spends some time sizing up her opponent. She knows that in a contest between skilled warriors, the one to make the first move is often at a strategic disadvantage. The only indication that she's doing anything at all is a brief red glow around her body.]

[shepherd_prince]

[He isn't sure what that scarlet light means. There's truly only one way to find out. He circles the Huntress slowly, wanting to make sure she's fully prepared before moving against her. She seems ready, so with a light spin of his sword, he takes the initiative and pushes himself forward. His strikes are light at first, testing her reflexes as well as her strength before revealing his own.]

[pole_position]

[Pyrrha brings her shield up to block the blow, using the cover to strike back with her own blade. The reach isn't quite as good as Chrom's own sword, so she has to push forward a bit as she follows through.]

[shepherd_prince]

[Steel sings out against steel, and after a few exchanged blows, Chrom smiles.]

Very good. It's clear you've had extensive training!

[And the joy on his face is almost boyish at being able to test his own skills against someone who can hold her own with a sword. He opts to use just the one hand, but on occasion uses both to strengthen his blows as the two dance across the padded mats, locked in combat.]

[pole_position]

And you as well! You've clearly fought in many battles.

[Pyrrha's enjoying herself too. The battlefield is definitely where she feels most at home. Her skill with a blade is impressive, and she's able to parry nearly all of Chrom's blows. On the occasions he catches her off guard, she manages to turn his blade aside with a quick application of her semblance. She's gotten good at hiding its use so that she appears more untouchable than she is.]

[shepherd_prince]

[Chrom would not call himself an intelligent man. There are several things that soar right past his attention when he's focused on his goals...like the fact that Marth was a woman. Awareness of any special powers that Pyrrha possesses is no exception. Completely clueless. He just assumes she's that good.]

More than I care to admit! But so long as we remain standing, I cannot complain.

[He brings up his shield to block a blow, winces at the second, but he comes up with a chuckle. His shoulder is starting to ache with the force of her strikes, but it's an ache he's missed having.]

I confess that I have missed testing my blade against another like this. We seldom get the opportunity when the world is threatened.

[It isn't as if he can clash swords with an Ultima weapon, or a tiny Tarutaru. This feels far more natural to him.]

[pole_position]

[Pyrrha just smiles, preferring to keep things under wraps. It's not that she's being willfully deceptive, but every fighter has a trick or two they don't reveal.]

I agree. It's been a long time since I was able to spar like this.

[shepherd_prince]

[He grins wide enough that there's a flash of his princely pearly whites before surging forward again, weapons clashing against weapons and shields.]

[But eventually, Chrom knows he'll need to use the skills his job provides to him, not just rely strictly on the skill of swordplay. Before he does, though, he wants to make sure this is all right with his sparring partner.]

I'd like to exercise some of my job skills. Is that...hngh!...all right with you?

[pole_position]

Of course! Practice away.

[Pyrrha smiles, taking a moment to catch her breath before striking a defensive posture.]

[shepherd_prince]

[He returns that smile with one filled with appreciation. It's a good thing he brought along a few different types of remedies for just such an occasion. As Pyrrha moves to defend herself, Chrom brings his sword in front of him as well, concentrating. There's a flare of bleak energy, which might be an indication that this is going to come from one of his Dark Knight skills rather than the Paladin ones.]

[He releases the Blind spell with a swing of his sword as he prepares to move on the offense once more.]

[pole_position]

[If only she hadn't unequipped Gunner after the Downapolis mission. Chrom's spell strikes true, and suddenly Pyrrha's vision dims. She brings her shield up in her best attempt to block, but she knows she's at a disadvantage here, so she also strengthens her Aura as a bulwark against the incoming blow. Hopefully it will lessen the impact a bit until she can recover.]

[shepherd_prince]

[Chrom only makes a few light strikes in his misguided attempts to help her fight blind, if only because that's a skill he wouldn't mind learning, so he assumes she'd want to learn it too. But after a few moments he eases up...not only because she seems to be on the defensive, but because their time is almost up.]

My thanks. Hold, I'll fetch you some eyedrops.

[He turns to jog toward the end of the room, digging through the potions and tinctures until he... Um... Well he thought he bought one with eyedrops.]

Er...is anyone in the room a White Mage?

[He's so sorry.]

[pole_position]

[Pyrrha actually manages to fight him off admirably, between her aura and semblance. She does take a few hits in the process, though.]

Yes. It was a good fight.

[She stands proudly, sheathing her blade even despite her blindness. That motion is rote by now.]

Ah... Chrom? Did you forget the eyedrops?

[shepherd_prince]

[At least she can't see the redness growing in his face. He thought he'd packed some for sure, especially because he knows he has this skill and wanted to test it. How could he be so careless?]

I...confess I may not be as prepared as I first believed. I deeply apologize, Pyrrha. If you're willing to wait, I'll purchase some straight away.

[pole_position]

That's all right! I'll just wait here for you!

[Trying to keep her composure, she goes to sit down where she believes a chair is. And ends up flat on her ass.]

Oh...!

[shepherd_prince]

Pyrrha!

[He frets too much for his companions...especially when it's his own fault. Quickly Chrom rushes back, placing a steadying hand on her shoulder and taking her other hand to help her back to her feet.]

I truly am very, very sorry. Here, this is the chair.

[He guides her hand to the back of it so she can at least be comfortable while she waits for the idiot lordling to return.]

Can I treat you to anything else?

[pole_position]

Ah... th-thank you. I'm sorry.

[She says, as if she was the one who caused the problem.]

No, I'm fine! I'll just sit quietly and wait.