Seventh Trial - Self-Improvement

[knighterrantofthedragon]

Who: Alric and whoever, depending on the prompt!
What: Various bits of training and so on!
Where: Various places around campus
When: All week (8/9-8/16)
Warning(s): Not really expected!



Okay not entirely knightly, but sort of.

Powers Development (Shulk): Alric had spoken to Shulk a little while ago about meeting up to study how exactly his power worked, the better to develop new ways he could use it. He made a point to go to that meeting relatively early in the day, when he was well-rested, as had been asked of him.

Team Training (Tiamaris and Hijikata): Alric still had ambitions of getting his team (such as it was at the moment) geared up for really doing some good. A bit part of that was obviously going to be intensive training with Tiamaris. Alric had his own control issues, but Tiamaris was downright volatile, and was going to need serious work to get to a point where he could function reliably without risking a meltdown over someone saying the wrong thing. Hijikata's guidance would surely be invaluable, in making that happen, as well.

Power Training (OTA): Alric had taken to practicing with his powers out by the shoreline, where there was minimal damage he could do to himself, to others, or to property, if he slipped. It gave him an opportunity to safely push the limits of his control in every possible way, such as plasma-sculpting sand into glass figures to practice fine detail, or handling multiple plasma constructs simultaneously, or working on getting more acrobatics out of his plasma jets (which often ended with a splash).

Physical Conditioning (OTA): As much as it was important to keep his control of his powers well-tuned, physical fitness was important, particularly for a knight. Moreover, exercise had proven to be one of those things Alric found especially useful for maintaining that discipline he'd worked so hard on, and he regularly invested a solid chunk of time in aerobics as well as strength training in the school gym.

Choose Your Own Adventure (OTA): Alric has lots of other things to keep up on, including guitar and fencing and a long list of more academic areas of study in which his family expects him to keep up. Feel free to bump into him doing any of those in an appropriate space, or taking a break somewhere like a bay window or in the branches of a tree!

Comments

Power Training

[jolie_aile]

It wasn't too hard to find Alric; the lakeside was a usual spot for practicing powers, and his were rather visible, though not Marisa-levels of flashy. But then again, no one was really Marisa-flashy except Marisa.

Flandre walked down there slowly, stopping while she was still out of the way of any errant plasma but still within easy speaking distance.

"Having fun there?"

...hopefully she didn't interrupt him while he was flying. She actually didn't want to dunk Alric into the water.

[knighterrantofthedragon]

Balancing on columns of crackling, searingly bright violet plasma above a cloud of water vapor like a rocket frozen at takeoff was plenty flashy enough for him, so that was quite all right. He glanced toward her, raising an eyebrow, and smiled to himself. Of course, there was only so close she could get while he was over water, but she could surely get close enough to be heard, at least. He seemed to have focus enough not to throw himself in the lake just from that, however.

"Ah... somewhat, actually, yes. Just a moment..!"

Alric tilted slightly in the air, redirecting the plasma jets--and rather suddenly, he lurched toward the shore several feet away from Flandre, followed but another flare of plasma slowing him to a relatively soft, controlled landing, although it certainly leaves a couple of visible sear-marks on the dirt at the shoreline.

"Miss Scarlet, wasn't it? You've been well, I hope."

[jolie_aile]

Should she clap? She sort of felt like she should--but what if it came across as sarcastic? She was debating in her head long enough that Alric had already landed. Her wings flicked out to either side instead, a sort of wave hello. She didn't flinch back too much from the sand and dirt flying up, though she did glance briefly at the scorch marks.

"Yes, I have." For the most part. "There was something I wanted to speak to you about, unless now isn't a good time?"

Flandre was still a bit...frazzled--and she'd never really been the best at decision making anyway.

[knighterrantofthedragon]

Alric brushed his hands together, smiling to himself casually. He seemed pretty unfazed by the burn marks, and placed his landing well enough to keep her clear of any debris thrown about. There were a number of scorch marks here and there in the sand, almost reminiscent of shallow lightning strikes, where the sand was seared and melted.

"It's quite all right, Miss Scarlet, I assure you. With what I might help you?"

[jolie_aile]

"Ah, well-," she twitched her wings again, smile fading a little.

"Reimu--our leader, has left. We're not sure when he'll be back, and...well, neither of us really have a head for leadership. At least not yet. And with...things as they are-" Flandre gestures a bit, a flick of her hand, "-I wanted to ask if you'd be willing to lead us, in the meantime."

Her shoulders slump just a little; apparently that took a very long breath to say. She didn't trust herself if she paused.

[knighterrantofthedragon]

Alric raised his eyebrows slightly at the mention of Reimu, obviously a bit surprised at the request, although he took it more or less in stride. It did make a kind of sense; after all, his team was on the small side, as well, and they'd at least had some experience with him in a leadership role, even if it was from the perspective of the opposition. He nodded and smiled a little more.

"Mm, I understand... a number of teams have experienced upheavals. It would be an honor, of course, Miss Scarlet, to welcome you both to the Guardian Dragons. Although I must warn you, we... have quite a bit of training to do before undertaking missions. I'm sure you must be well aware that some powers put special demands on their bearer's discipline."

[jolie_aile]

Some of the tenseness relaxed out of Flandre's shoulders, and her smile returned.

"Thank you, Alric. I'll let Marisa know right away." She wasn't expecting anything more than a yes or no; there was too much else to be done to stand on too much ceremony. Still, she was confident in Alric's ability to make good decisions, as she had with Reimu.

...even if one of Reimu's plans involved bodily throwing him at someone.

"I understand. My own powers were rather...troublesome, growing up." One of her wingtips flicks backwards, as if in emphasis.

[knighterrantofthedragon]

Alric nods at that, looking a little more troubled.

"...I'm afraid Tiamaris in particular did not have the advantage of a... supportive upbringing, or the benefit of wise elders to guide him. However. There's little to be done about that, now, save to help him learn the lessons he was previously denied."

He pauses briefly, smiling a little, once more.

"And I believe having more team mates will be some help with that. As someone who understands the burden of such abilities, I'd appreciate anything you can do to help him."

[jolie_aile]

Flandre looked thoughtful a moment, lifting a hand to her face.

"Ah, well. These wings aren't real, so...I mean, they are real, I just wasn't born with them." She flutters said wings, making the crystals on them chime.

"They help control my power, so I don't go all..." She grimaces, and arches her clawed fingers a bit into further claw shapes. "Like that."

[knighterrantofthedragon]

Well, he's intrigued at that, and tilts his head curiously--but smiles and continues.

"...indeed..? Still, I imagine it must have taken a certain amount of training, discipline... learning through trial and error what methods helped, and which didn't."

[jolie_aile]

"Yes, though more...before, than after they were devised." The 'before' part seems to make Flandre very uncomfortable, and her wings fold back and away.

"I was a child when these were first put on, and I haven't had too many issues since."

[knighterrantofthedragon]

Alric nods, listening.

"Mm... I'm certainly glad for you, then. I know well how... problematic... our gifts can be. The ability for one's will to be expressed in the world is tempting, but also terrible, once one learns how capricious one's will can be."