+23+ [action]

[fellpool]

[Today, Leon is practically living in one of the battle dome rooms. How many times now had he put off actual combat practice? There had been a few distractions here and there, but he had to admit to himself that a good majority of the time was spent tinkering with symbols and gems in his lab.

When was the last time there had been a large draft? Four months ago? Was that the last time he had swung his sword around for any good reason for more than a few minutes? His lack of practice shows in his awkward test swings. Even with a practice simulation to fight, he's quickly tiring. Claude would probably laugh at the mistakes he was making.

Leon huffs and moves on to Symbology practice, switching from the Claude's Silvance to his own Heraldry blade. Even within the barrier and with the lower augmentation of his sword, he's able to quickly form ice needles and arc black sabers across the room. When he switches to one of his Symbology tomes, he increases his range and covers the walls in a thick layer of ice. And then shatters the ice with a decisive flick of one hand.

--

Later on, towards the mid-afternoon, Leon trudges over to the plaza to go looking for something to eat. First the bakery to check out the pastries for the day, then the coffee shop to order something cold, and then over to the grocery store to grab something for the inevitable midnight munchies.]

Comments

[elevatoravatar]

Elizabeth cheerfully waves in the plaza from the bakery. It looks like she has enough to feed a house as she heads out and walks towards him.

"Hello Leon! It still amazes me the fact that even without coin here one can gather so many niceties of life!"

[fellpool]

Leon manages a twitchy smile as he recognizes Elizabeth, securing his messenger bag at his side as he waves back at her. Coming straight from the battle dome, he's still carrying both of the swords he had been practicing with earlier in the day.

"You talk about 'coin' like it's a foreign concept, Elizabeth."

Was that an oddity to her, too?

[elevatoravatar]

"Oh! The master deals in coins. I even had a pouch that had.... Many of them, usually for appeasing the spirits of fountains, when I was an attendant but I do not quite get their use. Perhaps it is something you need to experience frequently?"

She shrugs a bit.

"I have procured a small snack of these things called doughnuts. Some are filled with mysterious flavors and I have been questing to see how many there are. Would you like one?"

She offer her box.

[fellpool]

"Appeasing the spirits of fountains..." The unimpressed look that was beginning to appear on his face fades at the sight of the box Elizabeth offers. His stomach growls in complaint as he looks over the colorful variety she had selected.

"You don't mind?" He figures it's polite to at least ask in that way before reaching into the box. The doughnut he pulls out is obviously made to be stuffed with some sort of cream, and there's sprinkles on top. "What do you think of them so far?"

[elevatoravatar]

"I think they are very sweet, made of a bread that has slightly more sugar than normal bread and then fried which is something new to me. I suspect the fillings are put in afterwards given how the centers have no caramelization in their flavor still, I would have to watch them made to be certain and the last time I attempted to uncover the mysteries of a food the chef asked me not to spoil the secret."

She ponders a bit.

"Still, I have had almost 50 today and I believe I am coming close to uncovering the mystery as to why it is only fruit and creams inside. I have yet to come across one with a carrot or broccoli paste yet that would be an excellent way of deceiving small children to eat such things."

[fellpool]

As Elizabeth goes about describing the doughnuts in ... ridiculous detail, Leon finds himself slowly tilting his head more and more in growing disbelief. I really should have expected things would just get weirder after our first meeting...

Leon stops chewing on the doughnut when he hears how many doughnuts Elizabeth has managed to pack away, staring at her in bewilderment. It takes a moment to swallow before he speaks up. "Fifty!?"

He can't even get past that revelation to try and address the bizarre idea of packing vegetables into doughnuts.

[elevatoravatar]

She tilts her head and looks at him with a curious expression with just a bit of disbelief in it.

"Well I have only been at it for a few hours. To take less than several minutes to ponder the flavor would be a disservice to the baker would it not? You strike me as an artisan, even if you are trying to learn swords by the look of it, of course you understand?"

Well since someone else prosed...

[markofthewise]

When Sokka spied Leon heading to the Battle Dome, he was curious. He hadn't really ever seen Leon in action. At least, battle-type action. So he watched him from the viewing area until his scenario ended. Then he made his way down. Casually.

"Nice moves," he observed, acting as if he'd only happened to spot Leon in training.

Haha prose is totally fine

[fellpool]

Leon's fingers ached as he slowly released the hilt of his sword, clearly tired from that last scenario. At the comment from behind him, his ears twitched back, and he looked over his shoulder at Sokka.

An uncertain smile made its way to his face, and he nodded in greeting. He found himself thinking about that apology Sokka had left over the journals, and felt awkward for dwelling on it. "Probably overstating, but thanks. I'm ... very out of practice."

[markofthewise]

Sokka was trying not to dwell on anything about himself. Life was much easier if he could focus on other people. Leon, for instance.

"Well... I didn't want to say that but... when's the last time you really used a sword?"

[fellpool]

His shoulders slumped at the question, and he sighed in a big way like he was reluctant to answer. "Maybe four months ago, during the draft? But even then, it wasn't often; my Symbology is more useful over a wide area, like that TERRACE place."

[markofthewise]

"Magic is pretty useful." Sokka didn't have any, especially since he allowed his Filial connections to be lost. But he'd learn to account for it, if not necessarily appreciate it. "So why are you practicing now?"

[fellpool]

"It ... feels like we've been without a draft for awhile." Leon chewed on his lower lip as he explained. "I know we have no control or insight into when they'll demand we help them, but it feels like a long time's passed. They can't be spending all that time repairing the damage to that floating base of theirs, can they?"

[musubi]

Cute ears.

[On that terrible introductory note, Isamu nears Leon's area of the battledome. Actually, is it an introduction? The teen looks familiar.]

Seen them before, I think. Idle chatting or some other bullshit on the journals probably.

Sweet spellwork, by the way.

[fellpool]

[Leon rubs the back of his hand over his forehead wearily, blinking in surprise at the unexpected comment from the entrance of the room. He turns to face the passerby, tilting his head thoughtfully.]

Thanks. We-- Huh. [An embarrassed frown makes its way to his face. They'd only talked over the journals, and that was definitely a long time ago.] We never traded names, did we? I'm Leon.

[musubi]

Isamu. It's not like we can be expected to remember everyone who comes and goes in this place, anyway.

But since you do remember, you've been here this whole time. [Which is something, considering his eyes are a different color now and he isn't wearing his signature hat. He figures it's probably the attitude.]

We should all get long term membership cards.

[fellpool]

[Really, there's only the faintest memory of this kind of irreverent conversation that's sticking in Leon's head; if not for the fact that he remembered they hadn't traded names, he would have admitted that he couldn't remember any of the context of how they had first met.

...But that wasn't important.]

Would we get rewards? I'm not sure I'd want rewards for lasting a long time in this place. [He sheathes his sword, not wanting it to seem like he was eager to get back to his training.]

Do you come here often?

[musubi]

Fairly often. Not as often as I should.

[Though he's gotten a lot better at keeping up with his training now. There was a while where he didn't even bother.]

The spirits don't care for me much, though, so I'm mostly stuck with physical things.

[Nala will work with him, but that's Nala. The fact that he can work with Hyt now is his trump card and he doesn't bring it up if it can be helped.]

[fellpool]

There's a lot you can still do without knowing magic yourself, at least. I'm pretty sure there's been people who never reached out to the spirits while they were here.

[His lips quirk into a wry grin.] I'm not much for combat practice. You'd think the threat of random drafts would instill better habits.

[action]

[etherealblast]

[Leon might have been putting off combat practice, but Fayt had been putting in plenty of time for practice in symbology in particular. He and Cliff had something of a vague routine going, now... practicing focus with Cliff and on his own time, while practicing Symbology on his own.

He still wasn't sure he was getting anywhere, but while it might be wishful thinking on his part, he thought his speed with invocation might have gotten faster just a tiny bit. He's stuck waiting for a room when the session timer in Leon's runs out, and he's a bit surprised to see who's inside when the door slides open.] Oh hey-- Leon?

[action]

[fellpool]

[Leon is still breathing a little hard from his last practice bout when he recognizes that voice -- and he blinks at Fayt in surprise.]

Oh, hey. Were you waiting for the room, Fayt?

[action]

[etherealblast]

Yeah, I was. [He grins a little.] You run into lines this time of day, it seems like.

[Like the busy sim arcades back home, really..... only with actual weapons.] You were practicing?

[He's a little curious, to admit. He'd seen Leon in combat before, but he hadn't had time to appreciate it.]

[action]

[fellpool]

I guess I was lucky; I didn't see anyone when I came in. [Pretty lucky, considering he didn't come into the battle dome often to begin with.

He smiles a little at Fayt's question, shrugging his shoulders.]

I haven't practiced in awhile, so I thought I'd get in here for once.

[action]

[etherealblast]

What were you practicing? Swordplay? [He nods at the blade Leon had, curious.]

[action]

[fellpool]

[He nods, following Fayt's gaze down to his sword.]

Yeah. I'm not much of a hand with a sword, but I've had to adapt, being here. I'm usually using tomes.