Practice Matches[Plot] Lan vs Shard

OOC: Discussion/signups are here. Unlike some Plot posts, you can still signup to join here.

Students have been gathering in the Arena for some time now. Many are eager to watch their fellow students fight, while some are preparing for the combat themselves. The arena looks lightly different today, with several large holographic projectors setup along the edges, currently displaying two empty boxes and two green bars under them. Kirkka stands on the edge of the arena near one of the projectors, wearing her combat outfit and her staff in hand. Glynda Goodwitch stands on the opposite side, manipulating some various things on a Scroll. The doors entering to the arena floor have been closed off, and outside them stands an instructor, ensuring nobody comes in and interrupts anything. After all, this year's students seem... highly destructive in comparison to all other years.

Another few minutes pass, and Glynda steps forward, closer to the center of the arena, and begins speaking. "Today's matches are practice battles. As such, killing your opponent is forbidden. The combatant's Aura levels will be monitored, and if either person's Aura reaches the red, the match ends, as they would be considered unfit to continue by official tournament rules." She presses a few buttons on her Scroll, and the holo-displays change to display an image of Lan Lin in the grey outline box, with his name under the picture. It is followed by the image and name of Shard Dayker. The green bars under their flicker empty, then refill to full, as if updating to display the correct persons.

"For the first match... Lan Lin will be fighting against Shard Dayker. The two of you, please step forward and into the arena." She awaits the arrival of the two.

Jet sits on a bench, sharpening Paladin's rather large blades in preparation for his own fight.

Zack plops down next to Jet. "Oh man, these fights should be fun! I hope I get to beat up Arthur! Ooh, or maybe that giant guy in the robot suit! Who do you wanna fight?" Zack asks, eagerly.

"I was signed up for a fight." Jet said, running the stone over the edge of his blade. "I don't know who my opponent is though. So I'm going in blind."

IC:

Oh, great.

Why do people like this so much?

Worse, why does luck hate people so much?

There's me, who isn't really enjoying how we're being thrust into the spotlight, AND being forced to perform something while we're at it (What if I mess up? What if I....), and honestly, I just wanted to sit back and not do it. I just....um......well, monologue my own life with my thoughts.

And then there's Shard, who I'm pretty sure is gonna just dodge everything simply because contact was a big no-no for him. I mean, I'm sure that he actually does want to connect with others. Although I had completely different circumstances in upbringing than him, I could, in a way, emphasize with having everybody around you....kinda.....screw you.

I picked myself up from the stands and started to walk towards the center of the arena. A sigh of discomfort escaped my lips, and my natural reflex pushed my arms together, made myself look smaller and took smaller steps.

I expect to fail....don't expect much. My body language and a tiny, idiotic smile, told to the audience.

Yet, I figured I'd still be fighting to the best of my ability. Why? I dunno. I'd still try not to hurt him, but.....

I feel like it's a bit to casual. All of this. Practice fighting. Even fighting with Grimm. As Vox had pointed out, this world wasn't black and white, and we weren't just fighting those mindless monsters. I'd seen it before - Dameon and the feeling you get, like he could snuff out your life just by a gaze. No doubt there were others out there, with abilities able to rival the best of us, without the morals to wield them 'nicely'.

I just....

Didn't care.





OOC: :O Best drawing I'd ever done. Kinda pointless, but I figured I'd stick it somewhere.

"Heheh, I don't know my opponent either. It'd be cool if we ended up fighting each other!" Zack replies. "It was back before initiation when we had our first fight! Kirkka got pretty mad at us, too!" Zack laughs, remembering the damage he and Jet had done to the arena.

"Heh, I'd be mad at us too if I was her!" He said with a laugh, beginning to sharpen the other blade. "We tore that place up. Things were either on fire or thickly coated in ice!"

Shard steps into the arena and draws Shrapnel Shifter.
"Well well well, it seems I get to beat the crap out of our teams supposed 'Leader'. This ought to be fun"
Shard grins at the thought
"It's a shame I'm not aloud to kill ya"
He leans Shrapnel against his shoulder and spits to the side. He directs his attention to Glynda
"Alright Miss High-And-Mighty, three two one go and all that crap, I'm getting bored"

IC:

I stare up. The holographic display above me showed my face () and a green bar to the max. I figured that was our aura; but ironically, I had no actual control over my own aura. Yet. (Hopefully its a 'yet'.) So I was limited to my Dust and physical abilities.

"Alright Miss High-And-Mighty, three two one go and all that crap, I'm getting bored"

I scrunched up my lip. "At least some manners might be nice," I mutter.

Jet raised an eyebrow at Shard's complete lack of manners and decency. If there was anything that bugged Jet, it was stuff like that. He turned his head towards Lan and shouted, "Wipe the floor with him, Lan!"

IC:

I looked at Jet, and stuck my tongue out with a smile.

Probably not.

OOC: 100% Aura. Should getting tired be part of Aura as well? Theoretically it should, but the exact amount, no idea.

OOC: Aura drains when used. Shielding yourself with it drains it, along with using it to speed yourself up and perform strenuous activity. Standing there swinging your sword in the same simple motion probably isn't too difficult, but doing fancy maneuvers is. Up to your judgement though.  We'll see how it goes.

Shards comment toward Glynda didn't seem to faze her. She actually appears to be ignoring it, or didn't even hear it to begin with. "Alright you two, do not forget that when I call the match, it is over. The audience is being protected, so don't concern yourselves with accidentally hitting them."She takes a step back, before turning and walking to her original position. Upon arriving, she raises an arm briefly and says, "You may begin!" Her voice is followed by a bell, because bells are cool. She lowers her arm, and pulls her wand out, still looking at the Scroll she holds. Kirkka, standing on the opposite side of the arena, appears much more alert now, her staff held in both hands like she is ready for combat. Or at least some epic cleaning.

"Woohoo! Do your best guy!" Zack cheers, ecstatic about watching the fight unfold

Shard smiles evil-ly and goes into a combat stance. He rushes towards Lan, but uses Shrapnel to vault over him, going for a kick at Lan's head as he passed over.
As he lands, he takes a swipe at Lan's feet.

IC:

Shard sprinted towards me; I got ready to move. He leaped over me; I leapt to the side, out of range.

OOC: It's crap expect that from me these few days. I feel sick and crappy.....

Watching the matches, pad became increasingly nervous. Although he had a vast amount of aura, due to his training, he had never fought another person before.

Shard went a little off balance as Shrapnel met no resistance, spiraling a little and losing his footing for a moment.

IC:

I took another step back, increasing the distance between us as I held my sword up in front of me. Lines started to glow white-blue as I started to channel the electric dust, sparks and zaps running across the flat and edge of my blade harmlessly.

Shard regained his footing. Apparently this match was going to be easy. He had tripped, leaving himself completely open, and his opponent had just stood there. Idiot.
Shard started to notice, Lan's blade was glowing. What was that about? Whatever. Lan was just standing there like an idiot. In fact, so was he.
Shard started circling Lan, and jamming Shrapnel into the ground every five steps, breaking through the floor.
SLAM...SLAM...SLAM
"You gonna attack or what?"
SLAM...SLAM...SLAM
"Come on, I'm waiting"
SLAM...SLAM...SLAM
"COME ON! TAKE YOUR SHOT"
SLAM...SLAM...SLAM.

IC:

I stood there, waiting. Slamming the ground was either just an act of idiocy (Surprisingly, not that surprising. Shard's vocal chords have probably strummed more the past few minutes than the entire time he'd been at beacon.) or it was a planned attack.

SLAM... SLAM... SLAM
Shard had circled Lan twice now.
"Well, if you're to weak to attack, then I guess I'll have to make this interesting"
Shard fired a Grav-Bolt from the Armbrust at the floor below Lan, then activated Shrapnel's dust compartment.
The floor started to curl upwards, around Lan, making what was essentially a snow dome to encase him.

((OOC, basically, the slams in the floor cut it so that it could be manipulated in this way. It's to trap Lan in a sphere. This will have emptied the dust compartment, and to finish the sphere will have taken about two and a half seconds.))

OOC: Snow?

What

ITS SUPPOSED TO BE SUNNY

IC:

Ooooooooh.

So that's what it does.

Immediately, I sprinted forwards. This soon-to-be-spherical structure's radius wasn't anything near big, and it took just a second for me to be in the middle of running up a sloped surface, as I loaded fire dust into my sword. It was the only way I could create thrust, and that was what I needed - I kicked off the slope at the point where I could no longer run up without defying gravity (Sure, technically I already was thanks to being inside this dome, but still. Safe than sorry.) and then I let loose on the dust, elemental energies glowing red and orange running up my sword's length before pounding outwards in a vortex of fire.

It wasn't anything like a rocket, but at the very least it made me go upwards, through the gap that shut behind me, and, after I redirected my sword, slowed my descent. I landed, slightly wobbly, but quickly picked myself up and turned towards Shard.

Then at the big ball that now dominated our fighting space.

"Never knew you were good at art."

"Don't try and be all buddy-buddy with me. I ain't your friend, and I sure as hell don't respect your leadership." Said Shard, as he reloaded his Dust compartment.
"Now, are we gonna start fighting? Or am I just gonna chase your ass around the arena?"
Shard went into a challenging stance, feet spread, sword out front.

IC:

"...Well, I...didn't really get to choose to be the leader or not. But...we're teammates, and I DO know your issues...."

Still the hard shell act.




I admit, it was getting a BIT annoying. I didn't want to pity him, but I did. Now? I felt a little bit more 'I don't want to stomp on you like an ant, over, and over, and over, but I also do want to do it a little bit. You're just as annoying.'

My sword responded with my emotions, small flames rolling over the gleaming metal like a wave in the sea, before leaving the edges with a little lick. The howling pulse of a wildfire was now in my hands, and while I was reluctant to use it, I can't say I'm not ready to use it.

Shard watched as the flame entered Lan's hand and got ready for what was about to come
.
.
.
"That it? That all you got?"
Shard lowered his defense a little and started laughing
"Kid, if you think I'm scared of a pissy little flame like that, you've got another thing coming."
Shard put his stance back up
"Now take your damn shot, before I stop being merciful."