[Qiu'li]

[attr="class","popqiu"] ❝May the crimson leaves show me the path I must follow.❞ wc: 362 | twc: 362 Qiu'li

[attr="class","qiutext"] Qiu'li didn't expect much from the classroom chatroom. The raven haired man was in the midst of his morning exercise routine when he saw the 'ping' pop up from the class chat which caught his attention this particular morning. Under normal circumstances, he usually muted the Scroll since the chatroom was usually bustling with the steady traffic of conversation between classmates, though it seemed like he had forgotten this time since he got back from the Internships. Either way, the notification of someone looking for someone to teach martial arts piqued his interest, and while he didn't consider himself a teacher by any means, he entertained the thought of someone learning like he did: observation and repetition. Evangeline, huh? Qiu'li can't say he had heard of the person before, or perhaps he just couldn't remember. He scratched his head, though no memory came of it. The fact that this person easily accepted the proposal either meant they were incredibly trusting or an idiot like him. Either way, if this person was serious, he would do his best to teach them. He wiped the sweat off his body and took a break for the time being, gazing at the indoor training grounds. There usually wasn't anybody around during this time of the day, which was perfect for him since he preferred to not get stared at. In addition, he liked training shirtless since the robe he usually wore was thick and meant for mountainous regions. He had his linen pants and combat boots on per usual and was training with Panlong, his staff, with a heavy weight attached at the other end to simulate a heavier weight than his broadsword. There was another reason that he preferred to train alone without the sight of other students around, and it was due to the heavy amount of inflicted scars on his body that was etched across his front and back regions of his torso. The stares made him uncomfortable and self-conscious, therefore when he heard the training ground doors open he was quite surprised as he scrambled to put on his robe and tie it as he glanced to see who had shown up.

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Fènnù (+Strength +Agility +Projectile Sword Beam) | Rank E
Lóngtóu and Panlong | Rank F
Falling Ashes (Leap) | Rank E
Weapon Proficiency I (Martial Arts) | Rank E
Resilience of the Crimson Oaks I (Durability) | Rank F
Dance of the Wild Winds II (Acrobatics) | Rank E

[Evangeline Lys de Verre]

tell me pretty lies

template by Punki of Adoxography

Qiu'li -x- 764 words -x- le meow （Φ w Φ）✧

With the upcoming mission involving the train, Evangeline had been looking for ways to be more useful. One of those ways had been tackling a very important fact; she was bad at fighting. At least, when it came to close combat. Lis Fleurissant was a weapon she utilized for either support or ranged combat, in either Violin or Crossbow form. Up close, her idea for combat mostly involved bonking someone with her violin, or hitting someone with the violin bow, either of which would be a gateway for her to run away and create distance. She wanted to counter this by learning to hold her own up close, at least a little bit. So she had decided to hit up the public chatroom for her class, and what do you know, as soon as she had posted her message, someone named Qiu'li had responded by telling her to hit up the dojo.

So, naturally, Evangeline had gotten ready and headed out for the dojo right away. She couldn't really fight in her usual clothes, so she opted to wearing the usual gym clothes that many of the female students wore. A plain white top and a pair of black bloomers, white socks and white sneakers. She even wore hairclips to keep her bangs from falling into her eyes during training, cute little clips that had tiny chibi cat faces on them. She felt uneasy with the getup. How did the girls here wear this!? Her legs were practically all exposed! Such a scandalous outfit! But she wanted to fit in and embrace the culture, and she guessed it would help with flexibility... With that decided, she head off, reaching the training area without much delay. She showed up at the indoor training room labelled as the Dojo, opening the door and entering with energetic little skips in her steps.

What she saw was a mostly deserted training room, except for a man who seemed to be half naked and in the process of a somewhat rushed attempt to cover himself. Evangeline blinked, eyes wide, unable to help but ogle the man for a second or two. After all, this was technically her first time having seen a well-built man without their shirt on, given her sheltered upbringing. The scars didn't help either, making him more eye catching. But then her manners caught up, and she turned around, a flush creeping up her to her cheeks. "Oh, I'm so sorry monsieur! I-I should've k-knocked! Sorry!" She stammered, making quick little motions with her hand back at Qiu'li without looking, a sign for him to take his time to dress and let her know when he was ready.

When Qiu'li would give her a vocal sign that he was done, Evangeline would look around tentatively first to make sure he was decent, before turning around. A flush still sat high on her cheeks and her eyes seemed to be... shifting colors. Different parts of her iris were different colors, and all of them were shifting in sudden, random ways into different colors. "I'm... Uh. Evangeline. You must be... Keeyoo Lee?" Evangeline said, blinking rapidly a few times until her eyes had settled back to a stable blue, saying Qiu'li's name with some trepidation, unsure if she was pronouncing the name right. Qiu'li was actually somewhat... intimidating, with his shock of dark hair and his serious eyes... His eyes, they made her feel like he was considering stabbing her or something, and it unnerved her.

Evangeline mentally hit herself once more. Where were her manners? She couldn't let herself judge a book by the cover like that! Qiu'li was probably a very nice man! Giving herself a small shake, Evangeline gave Qiu'li one of her trademark, cheerful smiles as she approached him, giving him a short curtsy, or at least, what she could do to pass off something resembling a curtsy since she wasn't really wearing a skirt. Her smile faltered for a second, caught off-foot by the foreign style of clothes she wore, as she gave him a sheepish smile.
"Sorry... I'm not used to 'zis clo'zing style. So I am a bit nervous." She offered, nervously rubbing her left arm, above the elbow, with her right hand, her eyes trailing off to the side. Another thing that kind of made her nervous was that this much exposure also meant the faint black lines around the joints of her synthetic left arm and leg were more visible than normal. She never really liked people staring at those lines and thinking she was fake.

[Qiu'li]

[attr="class","popqiu"] ❝May the crimson leaves show me the path I must follow.❞ wc: 728 | twc: 1090 Qiu'li

[attr="class","qiutext"] A radiating ball of sunshine.   That was first thing that came to his mind when he looked at the blonde haired ball of energy as she approached him. Once he had finished dressing himself a bit to hide most of his torso, Qiu'li cleared his throat as Evangeline approached him. "Apologies... Public facility. My mistake. Done now." He hadn't anticipated the person being on the other side of the chatroom to be this little... kitten, but Qiu'li wasn't one to judge. They WERE at a school intended to train individuals to fight threats to Humanity, so what was wrong with wanting to learning some techniques. He simply stared at her for several moments before nodding his head slowly to confirm that he was indeed uh.. .. "Qiu'li..." The raven haired man muttered. "Pronounce like 'Chu Lee'." He corrected before approaching her. She was small, to say the least, even smaller than Flower! He never thought that he'd meet someone that small, though there was no point in trying to compare sizes. Flower was terrifying in her own regard, so why should he think that Evangeline be different? Perhaps it was the start contrast and the incredibly positive vibes that radiated from her body and face like sunlight. He didn't pay too much mind to her clothing, to be frank. While it did show quite a good amount of skin and uh... enunciated various parts of her body, Qiu'li simply saw it as a simple solution to prevent something trivial like clothing from getting in the way of proper training. However the seam lines on her arm and leg piqued Qiu'li's curiosity as his eyes wandered a bit. The fact that she looked away bashfully probably meant that she was self-conscious of her own appearances, something that the raven haired man related to very well. Reading the situation a little bit better than he would have in the past, he decided to quickly move on. "You want learn martial arts... I can teach you some of what I know, but question is what you looking for? Technique is good but not useful if you cannot use it. Tell me what looking for?" He was able to speak a little bit better, though his accent needed some work. Qiu'li began to walk over to where his staff, Panlong, was and picked it up to swing over his shoulder as he set down Longtou, his ringed broadsword, as it clanged loudly while he set it down. He listened to Evangeline speak as he turned and approached her again. While it'd be easy to simply just dump all of his training regiment and teachings on the strange ball of sunlight, he doubted that she would be able to grasp it easily like he did, nor would she be able to handle the level of intensity. This would be as much of training for him as it was for Evangeline, in that he had to learn the boundary between moderation and progress. How much should he teach her? At what pace? How does he adjust the training in such a way that fits her style of fighting as well as her physique? He wasn't much of a powerhouse like a lot of the individuals who attended this Academy that relied on brute strength, but rather he focused on technique and avoiding disadvantageous situations. Though it also depended largely on this woman's conviction. How far should he push her? How much is she willing to push herself? Would too much pushing drive her away? What if she resented him for it? These sudden thoughts began to swirl and cloud around the raven haired man's head like Nikolas' Semblance. This was one of the issues of Qiu'li having little social experiences, despite the time he had spent in Haven Academy. He hadn't seen Flower in quite some time, and the other classmates that he had encountered were merely classmates that he kept at arms length.  He shook his head briefly to push these thoughts out. This was a place to train, and Qiu'li punched himself internally for allowing such thoughts to invade his mind. Right, there was a time and place for everything, and this was not one of those times. Qiu'li's attention fell back on Evangeline as he awaited her response so that he could get a better idea of what she was looking for.

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Fènnù (+Strength +Agility +Projectile Sword Beam) | Rank E
Lóngtóu and Panlong | Rank F
Falling Ashes (Leap) | Rank E
Weapon Proficiency I (Martial Arts) | Rank E
Resilience of the Crimson Oaks I (Durability) | Rank F
Dance of the Wild Winds II (Acrobatics) | Rank E

[Evangeline Lys de Verre]

tell me pretty lies

template by Punki of Adoxography

Qiu'li -x- 910 words -x- boing boing boing! ヾ(´ﾟ∀ﾟ`*)

"Chuuu?" Evangeline vocalized with somewhat confused look on her face, tilting her head slightly to the left as she tested the sound out. Why as it pronounced like that when it was spelled with a Q? Q made a K sound, right? It was 'kween' not 'chween', right? She blinked several times, a puzzled look on her face, looking quite lost and giving off the impression of being very air-headed. But she straightened out and paid attention once Qiu'li approached her, unable to help the slight edge of nervousness. He seemed nice, but his eyes were way too intense. It would take some getting used to.

His scrutiny of her didn't really help either, and once again, she felt terribly under-dressed and exposed. How did the people of this nation consider this to be in any way proper!? She couldn't help but fidget slightly, shifting her weight from one foot to the other, as Qiu'li gave her somewhat of a cursory inspection. The nervousness was making her eyes glitch out again, as the blue irises would occasionally flicker to another random color for a fraction of a second before switching back. "Umm..." She intoned, a flush on her cheeks as Qiu'li seemed to be paying a little too much attention to her legs for her to be completely comfortable. She flicked her gaze down to her own legs and realized he probably noticed the lines on her left leg, prominently around her knees as that was the one joint that was very visible. Her embarrassment quickly melted away, replaced by the much uglier sting of insecurity as she fought not to turn away from him. But his inspection of her ended as he spoke, asking her what exactly she was looking for here.

The previous bout of unease melted away, like water sliding off a slope, as Evangeline relaxed more now that she had something to think and talk about, especially since the man had turned away from her. He had a distinct accent, and seemed to be talking in a bit of a broken way, but nothing that was difficult for her to understand. After all, Evangeline was the last person to complain about that, given that she had her very own accent making it difficult to pronounce specific sounds.
"I w-want to learn how to fight!" She said, blurting out the first thing that came to her mind. She paused, collecting her thoughts before continuing her words in a more steady way, "I want to help 'zee people. And my classmates. But I can only help wiz' my semblance and from 'zee range. I... I want to be able to do better up cloze. Wiz' my own hands and feet. I do not want my classmates to have to have to come save me if I ever get caught close up." She explained, her voice gaining a small increase in volume and force as her resolve strengthened, although it gave less of an impression of a determined warrior and more like a, well, kitten attempting to roar.

She blinked as she watched him pick up a long staff, and a very big sword, swallowing her apprehension. But, he placed the bladed weapon down, with some very loud clanging, and came back with only the staff, much to Evangeline's relief. But that raised another problem. "I... Umm... Didn't bring any weapon. I do not really have 'zee meelee weapon, except 'zee bow for my violin... But that is more like a metal stick." She said sheepishly. It was very unlike her to like this. Evangeline was usually very cheerful, optimistic and downright bubbly. Not this nervous ball of anxiety. But then again, she was very much out of her element here. The lack of weight from not bringing Lis Fleurissant with her felt like a missing limb almost, making her feel off-balance.

She shook her head, somewhat vigorously, as if shaking off the negativity, before facing Qiu'li once more, this time with an enthusiastic smile on her face, albeit somewhat forced. "It's okay. I can learn whatever you want to teach me! I can try! I know how to fight with my weapon, I just need to fight with my hands! Or just fight better! Dodging is useful, I could learn dodging better!" She said energetically, raising her arms and bouncing from foot to foot in a very, very poor hand-to-hand fighting stance. "I'm a very good learner! You can just tell me what to do, and I will do it! Teach me how to punch! Teach me how to kick! I will be 'zee best student you ever had, just watch me! I will make you proud! Oui, lets go! I'm ready! Oui!" She enthused, speaking somewhat quickly and without waiting for Qiu'li to speak, as if she was hyping herself up and convincing herself to begin with. She took some practice jabs at the air in front of her, her punching technique so bad that it was likely that she'd probably hurt her wrist the second she actually hit something harder than, well, air. But it didn't dampen Evangeline's spirit, as her eyes glittered with excitement and enthusiasm, a bright smile on her lips and brows slightly furrowed in focus. She was ready to learn how to fight, and she would learn dammit! She would learn and she would punch all the bandits in the face if they came close!

[Qiu'li]

[attr="class","popqiu"] ❝May the crimson leaves show me the path I must follow.❞ wc: 920 | twc: 2010 Qiu'li

[attr="class","qiutext"] She had a lot of spirit, which was something Qiu'li seldom saw in a lot of students here. Many came with their own convictions and desires. Some were here for glory, others with a burning desire to kill Grimm. Qiu'li himself was here for a journey of strength. The radiant little ball of sunshine was in a similar branch as him, though her own reasons were for a selfless one, which Qiu'li could understand. Being able to protect oneself in a situation where one cannot rely on others is respectable in it's own right, and if she is willing to put her trust in the raven haired man, then what is there to question? Qiu'li nodded as he got a better idea of her fighting style. Usually relying on her violin for ranged attacks but able to use her bow as a baton of sorts for close combat. He listened to her suggestions as she rambled on as he stared closely at the little one, though the more he looked at her, the more he noticed some of her quirks, like the color shifting eyeball that he thought that he had imagined, the mechanical parts of her body, etc. He was sure that she preferred not to talk about it, so his eyes wandered back to her's, though the fact that her eye glitched out.. Err... He kept it on her chest for the most part as he continued to listen to her as Evangeline declared her willingness to adapt to his training regiment. She was commendable on that front, though he was sure that there were limits to her own ability to her own physical ability, therefore Qiu'li decided to take the careful approach as he cleared his throat. He snapped the staff as it broke into three sections roughly the same length as her bowstring. "Okay. We begin training then." Though before Evangeline could say anything he began to start performing stretches. Qiu'li began performing arm rotations, each hand moving in a clockwise fashion, then counter-clockwise. He stretched each arm from side to side, upwards, and downwards, and in every direction to ensure that they were comfortable in every range of motion. "Stretch when can. Before and after train, less strain on muscle. Follow follow." He urged her to mimic his movements as he worked his way down from his arms, to his neck, to his waists, legs and feet. Once he was finished stretching he turned to Evangeline. "Not very strong. Unarmed combat disadvantage against Grimm and people. Need to learn technique over simple strength. Best way to avoid hurt is to avoid putting self in position to get hurt. Distance fighter remain at distance, however if end in situation where close combat unavoidable..." He held out his 3-section staff as they pointed towards Evangeline. "Unarmed against armed opponent is worst possible outcome. Therefore rely on my training to fight with weapon, even if as simple as single baton." Qiu'li sighed. "However situation unavoidable, therefore will teach technique of disarm. Very useful if Evangeline ends in worst possible situation. Enemy most likely will not be unarmed, if they have gun, best option to run, but if melee weapon, can possible disarm. First step is position. Cannot stand in front of opponent else easy target. Position key. Stand across or move next them to prevent direct attack." Qiu'li demonstrated this fact by first standing in front of Evangeline and swinging straight down at her and stopping before he bopped her on the head and repeated with a stabbing motion in a similar manner. He then showed the difficulty for him to land a direct hit on the ball of sunshine if she were perpendicular or even diagonal to the raven haired man. "Remember goal to disarm is removing weapon from opponent. Target wrist or arm if holding weapon to force to drop. However, strength required to hit hard enough to force enemy to drop weapon. Recommend gain physical strength before attempt. However, awareness is important. In unfair situation requires utilize all tools. Bite, scratch, use dust to blind. Anything to distract opponent to force to drop weapon or give time to retreat to gain your own weapon back." Qiu'li nodded. The importance of fighting is to put oneself into an advantageous position. It seemed that Evangeline was most likely looking for a method to 'beat the enemy' through fancy martial arts, however unarmed combat didn't mean shit in a situation where an enemy was holding them at knife or gunpoint. In a fight where one had a clear upperhand and their lives were at stake, it was best to fight dirty to even the playing field. That was Qiu'li's philosophy: Fight to live to see another day. He wasn't big and muscular like the other mountain man, but he was a crafty and shrewd man, and based on Evangeline's structure, she would need to learn to act in the moment to turn the tide in her favor if she found herself in a similar situation. "OK. Practice time. I swing down, you find best position and disarm weapon by strike arm joint and wrist. Will repeat with other hand after you disarm first time." As he said so, Qiu'li took a step back and began moving towards Evangeline with his right arm raised over his head with the first section of the staff. If she was successful with the first disarm, he would proceed to follow up with his left arm pulled back in a telegraphed stabbing motion.

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Fènnù (+Strength +Agility +Projectile Sword Beam) | Rank E
Lóngtóu and Panlong | Rank F
Falling Ashes (Leap) | Rank E
Weapon Proficiency I (Martial Arts) | Rank E
Resilience of the Crimson Oaks I (Durability) | Rank F
Dance of the Wild Winds II (Acrobatics) | Rank E

[Evangeline Lys de Verre]

tell me pretty lies

template by Punki of Adoxography

Qiu'li -x- 650 words -x- croissant punch!

Evangeline stopped her bounces and stared at Qiu'li who began to stretch, listening to him tell her about stretching whenever she could, blinking as he urged her to follow his movements before rushing to follow. She lined herself up with him so they were directly facing each other, before beginning to mirror Qiu'li's motions, the span of a heartbeat's delay between them as she would wait for him to move first before following. She followed his motions with some measure of nervousness to begin with, but as soon as they started and finished the first few stretches, her actions gained a enthusiastic confidence to it. She had stretched before, after all, very long ago when she had just gotten her new limbs. She had to stretch and undergo physical therapy for a long time until she could learn to properly walk and use her arm. And although she had forgotten most of the techniques involved in stretching, she was pleased to see that muscle memory had remained, and she was following his motions with ease, even going so far as to stretch farther than Qiu'li was stretching. It was obvious that what she lacked in power and size in her tiny frame, she made up for it by being very flexible, perhaps even more so than Qiu'li, although she didn't have the steadiness in movement that Qiu'li possessed.

After they were done, Evangeline was definitely noticing the difference. She felt a lot more limber, a lot looser and it was easier to move around, especially for her prosthetics. This gave her more enthusiasm and hope, and she aptly paid attention to Qiu'li as he instructed her about technique over strength, and the disadvantages of being caught without a weapon. As Qiu'li explained how to disarm and opponent who got too close to her with a weapon, and stepped forward, Evangeline's excitement got the best of her as she broke out of her concentration to see Qiu'li raising his weapon to swing down at her. Instantly assuming that he was expecting her to try her best to disarm him and not just demonstrating what an attack would look like, Evangeline would instantly punch forward, enthusiasm mixing with surprise and reflex, her fist colliding with Qiu'li's left jaw. Luckily, it was her right hand, and her punching technique was bad.

"Ow! Sorry monsieur, I 'zought you wanted me to- Ouch ouch... Sorry! Are you okay? Do you need medical attention?" Evangeline expressed with regret and horror, while wincing slightly and shaking her right hand. The bad form had meant his jaw had hurt her knuckles and wrist about as much as she had hurt him, or maybe even more. When he continued onto the stabbing motion, this time Evangeline stayed still and observed, nodding and making little "Oh. Ah." sounds as Qiu'li demonstrated.

And then they moved onto proper practice. Evangeline nodded, the very picture of bubbly enthusiasm, her hair bobbing up and down from the motion, as she took a somewhat sloppy looking ready stance, feeling strange without her violin at hand. She watched Qiu'li approach her, this time more prepared, remembering what he said about angles. So when he came into range for him to strike down, she quickly stepped to the side, towards the outside of his swinging arm. Good start, but as she turned around to push the outside of his arm further away in an attempt to unbalance him, she ended up pushing herself back as well and stumbling, swinging her arms in a vain attempt at balance for a moment before she fell down on to her back before Qiu'li even started his stabbing motion.

"Ow..." She muttered, rubbing the back of her head. The floor was padded, but it still hurt when she fell and banged her butt and head onto it. "Sorry. I slipped." She muttered apologetically and somewhat embarrassed.

[Qiu'li]

[attr="class","popqiu"] ❝May the crimson leaves show me the path I must follow.❞ wc: 651 | twc: 2661 Qiu'li

[attr="class","qiutext"] Stretches were great. Not only was it good to increase range of motion, but it also calmed the nerves. Movement of any kind usually distracts oneself by putting their mind on another task, which although mundane, usually gets the person circulating and comfortable. This was one of the first things Master Sattota taught him. Inaction causes one to freeze up and hesitate. Something that moves will continue to move. It seemed that the effects held true for Evangeline, who was a bit of a nervous wreck before seemed a lot more relaxed and raring to go. She was also listening diligently, almost like himself during the first few weeks of joining the Academy. Heh. How much he had progressed... Once they began, Qiu'li noticed that Evangeline was getting a little too enthusiastic. This was definitely true as he saw her immediately go in for a left hook that would strike his jaw and jolt his head a bit. Although her form was awful and the strength was minuscule, the surprise attack caught him off-guard as he was dazed for a moment. "It okay." The intention of the attack was meant for her to jump in immediately to practice the attack. The reactionary movement meant that she was either really jumpy or actually prepared to react at a moment's notice. Based on her actions afterwards, it seemed pretty obvious that it was the former, though he said nothing about it as she watched the second attack... Which she was supposed to put the technique that he taught her into practice. At least she started following directions the second time around! However, the performance was abysmal to say the least as he watched her dodge the first attack but stumble over in an attempt to try to unbalance him. "... Good try. However strength need to perform technique correct. Get routine down then strength exercise. Okay? Try one more time and move on." Qiu'li would help her up and nod to her as he demonstrated the proper footing as well as hand placement while disarming the opponent. Once he finished, the raven haired man repeated the same attacks again. Downward strike, then follow up with a thrust attack with the other hand. Whether or not she succeeds is largely unimportant so long as she has the proper movement down. "Advice: When disarm, focus on general area of enemy rather than on just weapon. Look forward at direction of attack gives better idea of direction they will attack, focus on direction of arm and angle of wrist so can position correct." Qiu'li demonstrated by having Evangeline focus on just the weapon coming right at her, and then focusing on Qiu'li's body movement as a whole, studying his arm's positioning, the angle, and the direction of the attack. "Move on. Dodge. Defense is okay, but require stamina and strength. Evangeline naturally small, use body and flexibility to advantage. When dodge, pay attention to enemy posture and anticipate attack. Like I show earlier, study flow and prepare body to act in retaliation of opponent." Qiu'li explained the concept of 'foresight' to Evangeline as he detailed how dodging involved being able to read the opponents moves and moving before the enemy did. "No easy way learn. Must train reflex. However, recommend avoid excessive move. Only move to avoid attack and counter." He showed her the basic maneuvers to duck, weave, and bob to avoid stabs, vertical swings, horizontal slashes, and diagonal attacks. "Safe technique is avoid center. Imagine box between opponent. Inside box is dangerous zone. When enemy attack, dodge involve moving outside 'box' by reposition body to side or diagonal like disarm technique. Try dodge, then mix with counter or disarm. Ok? " Once again, Qiu'li went for a a vertical swing down and a thrust, but this time he added a diagonal slash with his right hand if Evangeline didn't attempt to disarm him the first time.

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Fènnù (+Strength +Agility +Projectile Sword Beam) | Rank E
Lóngtóu and Panlong | Rank F
Falling Ashes (Leap) | Rank E
Weapon Proficiency I (Martial Arts) | Rank E
Resilience of the Crimson Oaks I (Durability) | Rank F
Dance of the Wild Winds II (Acrobatics) | Rank E

[Evangeline Lys de Verre]

tell me pretty lies

template by Punki of Adoxography

Qiu'li -x- 762 words -x- gib headpats pls

Evangeline would nod as she sat on the mat, nursing her hurting head while Qiu'li told her that she needed work on her technique first, strength later and she would need both to do what she had tried to do. When Qiu'li would offer her a hand, Evangeline would take it, allowing him to pull her up, somewhat surprised at how strong of a grip he had. Then again, he was someone who had probably religiously trained, judging by how disciplined he looked.

He then repeated the same movements and Evangeline tried once more. This time, she sidestepped outwards to dodge the overhead swing, and then stepped inwards the other way to dodge his thrust, getting inside of his guard and letting the thrusting weapon pass by her. She turned around, her hands fixing on his staff as she tried to use her inner angle and the limits of his wrist to wrench the weapon out of his grip, while also pressing her back up against his front to shove him away, a combination of moves that would probably catch an attacker off guard and allow Evangeline to disarm the opponent. Whether Evangeline actually would manage to pull the weapon out of his grip, or not, she would stop pulling and look up at Qiu'li with an expectant grin on her face. "Did I do 'zat right, monsieur Qiu'li!? Did I do it? Are you proud of me?" She asked, already happy that she had managed to dodge both of his attacks and try somewhat of a technique to disable an attacker's weapon. But that was when she realized she was practically leaning back against him, his face way to close to hers, and quickly stepped away, her grin being replaced by an big bout of embarrassment and shyness. She didn't say anything about it, just leaving it to pretend it never happened.

As Qiu'li instructed her on where to focus and how to see an attack coming at her, Evangeline would nod, paying attention despite the small flush still on her cheeks. She paid rapt attention to the angle of attack, watching how an attack would need to travel in order to hit a location. She then paid attention to his body as he demonstrated how a body would need to turn, pivot and move in order to accommodate the motion required to land an attack, allowing her to anticipate an attack before it even came at her. Her flush intensified a bit however as she watched him demonstrate the rotation of the core muscles for a swinging attack, images of him as he was when she had entered the room flashing in her mind. Curse her primitive monkey brain.

She worked through the slow demonstrations he did, accompanying his slowed down attacks towards her with the slowed down dodges he instructed her to do, trying to memorize how footing and spacing worked in such close quarters, and also making mental notes about the box theory that Qiu'li was explaining to her. And then, Qiu'li was going to run her through another test, so Evangeline nodded, readying herself as her flush disappeared, her mind entering a combat focused state.

As Qiu'li moved through the previous motions once more, this time Evangeline did the same but with much more surety in her actions. She turned her body, barely making a side step to let his overhead swing miss her. She then danced the other way on light feet as Qiu'li attempted the stab at her, readying herself to attempt to disarm him as her hands came up. But then his hand moved again, taking the weapon with it as Evangeline stuttered to catch up with the twist, seeing his body move as his hand came around. A diagonal slash?

She tried to recover quickly, leaning her upper body back as she slash went over her, barely managing to dodge the danger, before she reached up and grabbed his arm with one hand, the weapon with the other, and wrenched the weapon backwards while pushing his arm forwards, once again trying to use the limits of his wrist to force the weapon out of his hand, technique over strength.

Once she had succeeded or not, she would hand him the weapon back and exclaim, " 'Zat was unexpected! But I dodged it! Did I do good? Was it good? Did you like it, Qiu'li?" She asked, looking up at him with hopeful eyes. It was obvious by now that she really did like approval and really wanted it, willing to work hard for it.

[Qiu'li]

[attr="class","popqiu"] ❝May the crimson leaves show me the path I must follow.❞ wc: 452  | twc: 3113 Qiu'li

[attr="class","qiutext"] Huh. The girl was adapting well and improving her technique much better the second time around. Not like Qiu'li was surprised since this was a school that admitted people with some combat ability, but he was impressed nonetheless as he nodded in response to her question. "Very good, move on." Qiu'li reaffirmed Evangeline as he glanced down at the little ball of sunshine who had been leaning on his chest. Her counter and disarm were nearly perfect, however with him being a large man and her being... not so large, it was a bad matchup as he still have some hold left on his staff while she had a decent grip. Regardless, the fact that she used her body as well as her arms to force him into a position in which he couldn't easily strike was commendable. His eyes locked onto Evangeline's as she looked back at him, and her happy grin quickly dropped as she pulled away. Was it something he had said? Immediately his first thought was his eyes. The raven-haired man always had issues with his eyes and his permanent scowl that was etched across his face. It was something that he could do little about, and more often than not something that lead to a lot of lost potential friendships. Perhaps this was also the case. Qiu'li just let out a quiet exhale of air as he continued on. -- As he was in the midst of his diagonal slash, he watched as Evangeline lean back to allow the stick to pass her before grabbing his arm and the weapon. While it would have worked against a normal sized person, unfortunately Qiu'li was too big for the technique to be pulled off successfully, especially in a first-time scenario. "Strength equally important. Keep mind placement of body and stance. Keep weapon point away from body, stay low force opponent to move, move weight so harder pull back or swing." Qiu'li explained how to use her size to her advantage by either shifting her weight onto the arm or the weapon to make it difficult for the opponent to recover as well as forcing them into a situation where she had the advantage. "Move on." Qiu'li said quickly. He spared no time in between shifting the pace from one lesson to the next. While he didn't have much of a structured regiment in mind, perhaps he could create one based on learning a bit more from her. "Before continue, learn about Semblance, might provide idea on what train rather than do too much." Qiu'li snapped the staff with a quick flick of his arm as the chains went taught and the 3-sectioned staff returned to it's usual single metal staff.

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Fènnù (+Strength +Agility +Projectile Sword Beam) | Rank E
Lóngtóu and Panlong | Rank F
Falling Ashes (Leap) | Rank E
Weapon Proficiency I (Martial Arts) | Rank E
Resilience of the Crimson Oaks I (Durability) | Rank F
Dance of the Wild Winds II (Acrobatics) | Rank E

[Evangeline Lys de Verre]

tell me pretty lies

template by Punki of Adoxography

Qiu'li -x- 654 words -x- wtf no headpats its fightin time

Evangeline would beam brightly up at Qiu'li in response to his praise, giving him a bright smile, her eyes almost sparkling with joy. She did well! That made her very happy, especially since this was perhaps her second time trying it and it had a much better result! But then, ofcourse, she realized how close they were and skittishly bounced away. She looked away, eyes averted, obviously shy and not really noticing that Qiu'li had not caught onto the reason and assumed something else. They both shared a moment of awkwardness, pretending to not notice it and not saying anything about it to the other, moving on.

--

Evangeline was still happy with the results, even if Qiu'li didn't outright praise her this time. She nodded as he explained the importance of strength, something she was very lacking in. She figured that she would have to use momentum or angles to actually be able to disarm an opponent, as she couldn't exactly brute force her way to disarming an opponent, especially someone as bulky as Qiu'li. "Monsieur Chuu'Lee, what if 'zee attacker is using 'zee blade weapon? What 'zen?" She asked, tilting her head to the side as she asked him. She had been going for his weapon so far, grabbing it to attempt to disarm him. If he was wielding a blade, then she couldn't really do that could she? She'd slice up her hand in the process of doing that.

When he asked her about her semblance, Evangeline made a small "Oh." sound and looked down bashfully. "Well... My semblance is not very useful. It just lets me play music on my violin that can help heal aura for my allies, or make enemies dizzy. But it cannot differentiate... So I could heal enemies or make my allies dizzy if I'm not careful..." She said, staring down at her feet. A hand came up, tucking a loose lock of her hair behind her ear, something she did a lot when she was self-conscious or anxious. "It is why... It is why I'm trying to learn how to fight up close too. So I'm not just someone to keep in the backline to help as a medic. I want to fight! I do not want to be... a burden." She said, a sincere kind of passion coming to her voice, yet dying out back to a quiet hurt as she spoke the last word. She had always been worried about being dead weight, holding her teammates back or being more detrimental than helpful. She wanted to be someone more than just her semblance. Yes, she liked her semblance, she could help a lot with its healing abilities, but she wanted to be able to not have to rely on someone else all the time to fight for her. She was training to be a huntswoman after all, and she wanted to be able to protect people and hold her own!

She shook her head, determination filling her up as she shook off the negativity like a cat would shake off water, her eyes focusing. "Does not matter. The only way to get better is to put it into practice. Let's spar, Chuu'Lee." She said, bringing her hands up in fists, getting into a stance, making it obvious she would not take no for an answer. Truth be told, she needed something to do right now to keep her mind off of all the dark thoughts. Busy hands and busy mind. Now that she had some practice and was more in the zone of combat, her stance, while still obvious that she was unused to it, had more steadiness to it. She breathed in deep and exhaled slowly, focusing herself. She would try not to hit him too hard, mainly focusing on dodging the attacks he sent her way and maybe retaliating with small, testing taps to see what she could do as counter actions.

[Qiu'li]

[attr="class","popqiu"] ❝May the crimson leaves show me the path I must follow.❞ wc: 596 | twc: 3709 Qiu'li

[attr="class","qiutext"] Ah? A question on bladed weapons, huh? Qiu'li thought about her question as recalled his training with Master Sattota. "Avoiding attack of sword is best. Should not be put in situation where one is without weapon to begin with. However even weapon blade or blunt, there part that is most vulnerable." He pointed to his wrists, fingers, and the handle of his blade. "Weapon only as strong as wielder. Target place weakest." He explained how the joints, areas of articulated motion, and the hands are the weakest links to the weapon. Knowing how to strike the most vulnerable areas while avoiding the weapon is the most ideal if put in a very nonideal situation. "If I had to decide in situation where face blade weapon unarmed, I run." Qiu'li shrugged. "Qi.. Erm, 'Aura', have limit, and should not rely on Aura to protect from attack." -- Qiu'li observed Evangeline's expression and how she began to explain her Semblance was more primarily suited to a supportive role. There wasn't anything particularly wrong with it to Qiu'li. Everyone had a role that was best suited to them. Qiu'li continued to listen as he folded his arms and gazed at Evangeline while she explained the pros and cons of her Semblance. Primarily, it seemed to be an area-of-effect semblance where both her allies and enemies are affected. As she continued, Qiu'li continued to stare as she explained why she wanted to learn close combat: To avoid being a burden to her teammates. Surely, in most cases the most basic tactic in any given scenario is to eliminate the support units or those who could heal others. Therefore, attacking those with healing abilities is the first priority. Qiu'li could understand why Evangeline was worried about that. "Everyone has role to fulfill, Evangeline. Some more suited to certain role than other due to skill, nobody can do everything, that why rely on team important." Qiu'li rubbed the back of his neck as he tried to figure out what to say next. "However I teach what I can to best suit you. Okay?" He said finally as he pushed himself up from his seat position. Seemed like asking him didn't really give himself any hints. Playing her instrument both healed and disoriented... Hmn. Well, for now he would think about that later as his gaze went back to Evangeline, who had taken a fighting stance and declared a desire to spar. Uhh... Hm. Qiu'li glanced at her. The form was terrible, and her stance was imbalanced. A single hit could easily knock her over, though he'd rather her learn for herself before he verbally told her. As she said so herself, the only way to get better is through practice. However.. Qiu'li took a somewhat defensive stance as well, though this time he lowered his body and kept his arms outstretched as well as keeping his feet spread apart. He was posed almost like a bear in comparison to Evangeline, though the purpose of this spar would be to gauge what kinds of techniques she would use. Instead of him attacking, the radiant one would be doing the attacking herself as he didn't move an inch from his spot. Under a lot of circumstances, there will be people who will not hesitate to attack first. Moreso if she was unarmed. However, there are just as many cautious fighters who will wait for the other to attack first. Qiu'li would explain this after the spar. For the time being, Qiu'li merely gazed fiercely at Evangeline, like he was an Ursa ready to eat her.

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Fènnù (+Strength +Agility +Projectile Sword Beam) | Rank E
Lóngtóu and Panlong | Rank F
Falling Ashes (Leap) | Rank E
Weapon Proficiency I (Martial Arts) | Rank E
Resilience of the Crimson Oaks I (Durability) | Rank F
Dance of the Wild Winds II (Acrobatics) | Rank E

[Evangeline Lys de Verre]

tell me pretty lies

template by Punki of Adoxography

Qiu'li -x- 755 words -x- (╯°□°)╯︵ ┻━┻

Qiu'li's somewhat blunt statement about turning tail and running away from an opponent with a blade made Evangeline giggle. Just the image of a big, strong man like Qiu'li running away at full sprint from a man with a knife was very entertaining to her. But she had paid attention to him showing the details of how the arm worked, things she had known to a degree but didn't mind learning more in depth with. She turned and rotated her own wrist joint on her right hand as Qiu'li explained, testing the limits of her own movement axis. She nodded enthusiastically once more, the perfect pupil who was apt to learn from the mentor, as they moved on...

...

Evangeline held her stance, bouncing from one foot to the other as Qiu'li took a somewhat imposing stance. He already seemed much bigger than he was due to his intimidating stare and quiet demeanor, but now he seemed to fill out even more space, almost towering over Evangeline in a much more drastic difference than they had previously had. Evangeline had the small image in her mind of the tiny golden haired princess facing off against a huge dragon grimm to save a hapless damoiseau in distress. There was her, in shining armor with her violin, and a massive dragon that wore a Qiu'li mask on its face, in front of a tall tower that held the actual Qiu'li at the window, who had the same deadpan expression on his face as he waved a handkerchief. The thought brought a grin to her face as Evangeline readied herself, making sure Qiu'li was also ready. Given that he was going on the defensive, Evangeline had confidence he could handle her blows and therefore, would not pull her punches. After all, he couldn't teach her properly if she hesitated or half-heartedly attempted it.

She took a deep breath, emptying her mind, bringing herself into serenity. Where many people fought with the heat of the moment like a blistering inferno, and others, perhaps like Qiu'li, fought in a peaceful trance like an undisturbed pool of water, Evangeline fought with a grace and rhythm. Everything had a rhythm, a tempo, a melody that sang its own tone, painting lines across the world. She only needed to follow those lines.

And then she lunged forward. Despite her clumsy stance, she was still a qualified huntress trainee, and thus, had the speed expected of one, especially one so small and limber. Now, on the offensive, she launched a series of punches, somewhat clumsy yet still better than the average civilian. A left double jab at his left side, followed by a right thrusting punch at his solar plexus and then an attempt to land a powerful chop on the right side of his jaw with her left hand. On impact, whether he blocked it or got hit by it, it would feel more like he had been hit by a metal pipe rather than an hand of flesh and bone, albeit without the actual weight or impact expected from a metal pipe. Her prosthetic limbs were advanced alloys, yes, but they were kept as accurate to actual flesh and bone as they could be, and as such, didn't mean she was half invincible terminator or something. It was the same force expected from a regular karate chop, just a different impact.

After those series of attacks, whether they succeeded or not, Evangeline would pay attention to any words of critique or praise that Qiu'li might have for her before creating distance once more. She bounced on her feet a couple of times once more, before lunging forward again, trying another attack rush. This time she feinted left before throwing out a clumsy back-hand with her right hand at his abdomen, aiming to land her knuckles near his navel just enough that her hand would slide off after the impact and continue with the motion. She carried the motion, making her go into a spin as she brought her leg up and around, aiming a very flexible diagonal kick at Qiu'li's face, going bottom right to top left on Qiu'li side, with her left leg. It was actually a very good kick with how it transitioned and how high it reached, but the clumsiness was in her other foot, as it had already began to slip out from under her, Evangeline unused to keeping her balance with such a move. She was already falling and would fall onto her back once the kick completed.

[Qiu'li]

[attr="class","popqiu"] ❝May the crimson leaves show me the path I must follow.❞ wc: 921 | twc: 4630 Qiu'li

[attr="class","qiutext"] Well, seemed like something was amusing Evangeline by the way that she was giggling to herself and having random moments of grinning. It was very unlike Flower, to say the least. Though for some reason he couldn't help but think about her briefly as she began examining her own range of motion. He wondered what she was doing, what she was up to. It had been some time since they had last spoken. He hoped to see her soon. As Evangeline began to take a serious stance, his mind wandered back to the situation at hand as he began to lower his body, ready to react at a moments notice. Then, there it was again. She was definitely imagining something as the raven haired man watched her expression change to that of a dream-like state; as if she was daydreaming again. Normally he wouldn't care about something trivial like that. He tended to do that too during some classes, though it seemed weird being on the receiving end of it as he was the one doing the teaching. Once she took a deep breath, it was then that Qiu'li actually focused. Once she lunged forward, Qiu'li also leaned forward slightly as well, ready to react to her moves. He would wonder if she would pick up on this behavior as well. If one were to lunge at their opponent straightforwardly, retreating back could put them at a disadvantage; moreso if they were in a dead-end area. Dodging to the side would be the safest, but it takes time to launch a counterattack depending on how far out one goes, as well as enemies could easily redirect their attacks with a wide, sweeping attack. Therefore, going slightly towards the enemy for a counter or a slight dodge would be the most balanced option for his size. It was rather difficult to bob past the first two jabs. Although they were the weakest of punches, they were fast and unpredictable. Therefore, Qiu'li had no choice but to put his guard up as his forearms absorbed the first two blows. He had briefly forgotten that she had metal parts for her appendages, therefore the two quick strikes felt less like two little clumsy rabbit punches and more like someone had taken a wrench and clumsily swung at his arms with a good amount of effort. He felt it, though it wasn't enough to slow him down as he immediately took a step back to put distance between them, which didn't take a whole lot given the lengths of her arm. Regardless, had Qiu'li decided not to take that momentary step back, he was sure the raised strike towards his jaw would have rattled his brain just enough for him to lose a bit of sense. It seemed she had also decided to retreat as well, or so it seemed. Qiu'li took the time to rub his arms briefly, expression unchanged as he gazed directly at her. "Hit hard. Need practice punch. Turn hip and shoulder when punch increase rotation. More powerful. Recommend find someone specialize in bare-hand." He hadn't met anyone who was into unarmed combat. There were probably students somewhere that found comfort in it like Huli or the school nurse, though she'd probably do better finding someone that would better match what she was looking for. Well, either way he was running out of things to teach her for the moment. It was a matter of simply repetition and practice. Martial arts required discipline and one does not become an expert over the next 12 hours. Qiu'li lowered himself as he prepared for Evangeline's next attack. Seems like she was taking the initiative again as she lunged forward and attempted to feint an attack at him. She would probably aim for his midsection again since her height rested comfortably around that area, therefore the raven haired man responded by leaping into the air upon the next attack. Considering that she's not a very... tall person, he could easily clear the height and land behind her. As he took a step to the side to prepare for her next reaction, the raven haired man watched her attempt to follow up what would have been an abdominal strike with a diagonal kick close to his neck or face. It had the right form and power, but the problem was that she was going too fast and a seemingly lack of coordination--most likely due to a lack of experience. To enunciate this, Qiu'li would slide his foot forward on the other leg that she was struggling to keep balance on and watched as she tumbled back. Before her body hit the wooden floor, Qiu'li would step in and catch Evangeline, sweeping her up into a bridal-style position as he gazed down at her. "... Good form. Need practice. 100 punch and 100 kick every day, each arm and leg. Build muscle and routine. Come back when stronger to continue." He said as he let her down slowly. Qiu'li wasn't all that good with communication still, and lifting her up made reminded him just how small and frail she seemed, despite the ferocious upward kick that would have surely left a mark on him somewhere had he been careless. Regardless, Qiu'li would start to pack his belongings and head out for the day, listening to anything Evangeline had to ask or say to him before he left. It wasn't much of a training regiment, but one had to learn how to crawl before they could walk, right?

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Fènnù (+Strength +Agility +Projectile Sword Beam) | Rank E
Lóngtóu and Panlong | Rank F
Falling Ashes (Leap) | Rank E
Weapon Proficiency I (Martial Arts) | Rank E
Resilience of the Crimson Oaks I (Durability) | Rank F
Dance of the Wild Winds II (Acrobatics) | Rank E

[Evangeline Lys de Verre]

tell me pretty lies

template by Punki of Adoxography

Qiu'li -x- 739 words -x- le crushing hard

Evangeline observed during her attacks how Qiu'li responded and reacted to each one in turn, noting it down mentally if she ever came face to face with an attacker and she had to go on the defence. He came forward rather than backwards, and she realized why that was effective when she found herself second guessing her lunge. She had expected him to either go backwards or stay where he was. Coming forwards put him far too close and Evangeline had to hesitate for a split second to realign her attacks with his unexpected position.

Once that first assault was done and they both backed off, Evangeline panted lightly, catching her breath, giving Qiu'li as bashful smile. "I'm sorry, did 'zat hurt? And yes, I will!" She said, both in response to his reaction to her hits and to his instruction on how to properly punch.

And then, her second assault was... whiffed? In the middle of her starting attack, Qiu'li just up and... disappeared? She had to turn to see that he had actually jumped up and over her, landing behind her like a cat. And as she struggled to turn around, attempting to reposition her kick which was already in progress, she felt herself losing balance. This was further aided by the fact that Qiu'li slid his own foot at her supporting foot. A short cry came out of her as she felt herself falling backwards, when all of a sudden, she wasn't. She felt his arms going under her as he literally swept her off her feet and around.

Oh mon dieu.

Evangeline found herself caught in his arms, the distance between them far too close as she blinked up at him, realizing the position they were in. Her breaths, which were supposed to be coming in hard and fast from the recent exertion, had all but frozen as she stared up at him like a rabbit caught in the sights of a hunting rifle, wide and blue as color rapidly rushed into her cheeks. She could see his lips moving, he was probably saying something, but all she could hear was an indistinct mumbling from far away, her heart pounding from more than just exertion and her mind far too occupied with the position they were in and at the scrutiny of his... very masculine scowl and dark, broody eyes.

She barely even noticed when he put her back down on her feet, nodding numbly at his instructions, still dazed, watching him go about packing up for the day. She managed a shaky wave at him as he left, still looking and feeling completely lost, her cheeks burning. It was perhaps a minute after he had actually left when Evangeline realized her hand was still raised from the wave she had given him, her face turning to look at her raised arm for several seconds before she dropped it. And then, finally, she drew breath, realizing her lungs were burning and her mind was lightheaded from the lack of oxygen. She dropped down somewhat clumsily to sit down, finally breathing heavily as she continued to blink in a daze, looking at the door where he had left.

That was the first time she had ever gotten so physically close to a man... No, he wasn't a man. That would be doing him injustice. No, he was a male, in every sense of the word. And it was... strange how she was feeling from the way he had held her in his strong, muscular arms. Having grown up sheltered, Evangeline had never really been in contact with many people. Sure, once joining this Academy, she had gotten very close to people both male and female, but that was usually from her own actions, stemming from unconscious friendliness. But this? This was his action, his initiative. He had, quite literally, swept her off her feet as if they had been in the middle of a dance rather than a training spar. And all these... unusual feelings in her head? She could not make heads or tails of it. Her hands came up to cup her heated cheeks as she tried to make sense of all of this. She needed answers. She needed to talk to Carmim, she would know what all of this was about. And she would do just that!

Right after her legs stopped feeling like jelly and the butterflies stopped fluttering in her stomach.

[N o v a k i d]

XP Distribution:

(Current XP + Thread XP = New Total XP)

Evangeline: 69 + 52 = 121 XP

Qiu'li: 405 + 46 = 451 XP

Calculations in Spoilers

SPOILER: Click to show

Evangeline: 764 + 910 + 650 + 762 + 654 + 755 + 739 = 5234 Words
Qiu'li: 362 + 728 + 920 + 651 + 452 + 596 + 921 = 4630 Words

EDIT: Distributed by Wolfe