Testing the Boundaries (Open)

[Cora Williams]

It seemed in her distress, Cora failed to listen to his instructions. She simply downed the entire bottle in her desperate attempt to eliminate the spiciness.

"Blech, that is not tasty milk," she complained. At least the spiciness became more tolerable even if it was only somewhat improved.

The only reason she no longer acted in distress was because of the mention of Traverse Town.  Memories flooded her mind of her time spent there, of Mogen and the Synthesis crew, of the Wanderer whom she made quick friends with.

 Now that she thought about it, Traverse Town was very similar to City of Dreams. To those who were willing to put in the effort, they could really making a name for themselves there. The place was also a place of passage for those needing a break before moving onto bigger and better things.

She looked up at the sky after him, letting her gaze stare at that empty black before settling on the fragmented moon. It was such a scary and saddening sight. She could understand why he'd want to bring back the stars.

You know... now that I think about it...

Yeah! I like this plan too! We should take him up on that offer!

If I help him with this, then that means bringing back worlds that disappeared already, right? More chances to find Stella!

And if we end up travelling together, then we'd be plenty safe! I know you're capable of taking care of yourself, Cora, but with him by your side, there's very little that could take you down!

And he's a chef! A flipping chef! Think of what I could learn for my synthesizing if I watched him cook!

Uh- is that really something to think about?

"Cooking and synthesizing are the same thing, Mana!" Cora expressed out-loud, only to immediately cover her mouth.

Now he's gonna think you're a dork!

Shut up, Mana!

She took a minute to recover from her brief embarrassment.

"You know what? Why not!" She expressed with a smile, "I don't know what I a kid like me could do, but if anything I do could help out, then why not?" She decided she would not disclose her actual age until asked. Some part of her had fun with the concept of being mistaken for a child.

[Harukaka]

It was so bizarre, staring at the starless sky, fragmented moon hanging in the distance as a grim reminder of what once was.  Still, Harukaka held hope in his heart, and would let his arm fall back to his side, idly hearing Cora's struggles with the spicy fire that was alight on her tongue.  Still, she seemed to recover quickly, and didn't freak out as badly as he would have expected.  Then, the sudden outburst from Cora made Harukaka jump, the doll looking at the young girl and blinking in confusion.

"Well, I suppose synthesis and cooking are similar, yes.  Both require recipies to be created to make something that people can use, whether it's an item or a delicious meal.  And of course, there's always the element of experimentation.  After all, that stuffed pepper was good, wasn't it?"  Harukaka replied, taking another bite of his food, the heat of the pepper not bothering his trained palate, and making him look perhaps like a try hard in terms of being "cool".  As Cora took the doll up on his proposal, Haru couldn't help but think of a few things.  Like how he could barely hear the little one up until she made that jump, how a small child could mask her presence so expertly.  Perhaps...she was more than what he assumed she was?

"That's reassuring, but, things will surely get dangerous on this venture...so I need to test you.  I can already tell that you've some experience with stealth and at least a novice's level of magical knowledge, so let's see how far you can get in a fight."  Haru stated, standing up and walking over to the empty plaza in front of the train station, claws still held within his sleeves, not wanting to seriously injure his new found friend in what was nothing more than a glorified sparring match.

[Cora Williams]

Spar?  Well, your not much of a fighter, Cora.  You're more of a-

"Well, not sure how far I'll get but I accept!" Cora replied, pocketing the rest of her current pepper and heading to where he was. She stopped and went back to grab another pepper. Seemed like they were popular with her, even if they still were too spicy for her to handle.

You are dead serious, aren't you?

Mana, I've been wanting to learn to fight for ages! I could probably learn a thing or two from him in just this session! Plus he's obviously good! This is a good chance for me to see just exactly how I'll fair in a real fight! No Mogen or anyone to coddle me and keep me safe!

Yesh, you're hopeless, aren't you? Well, have fun dying!

"Oh, ha ha!" Cora replied, "Mana, you'll be laughing out of the other side of your face when this is over! Um... uh... f-forget that you heard me say that..."

Standing in place, she reached back for her staff. She reached and she reached and she reached. Then a memory came back to her.

"Oh, that's right, I lost the staff, over the, cliff thingy there... That's okay! I can always synthesize a new one! And I don't need it to take care of myself!"

[Harukaka]

Haru let out a deep breath, pushing out all other thoughts as the match began, caring not for the fact that Cora had lost her weapon.  After all, an enemy would show no mercy to an unarmed combatant, be they a heartless, nobody, or a wild creature.  As Cora commented on the lack of her staff, Haru was already sprinting towards her, his shimmering eyes almost streaking through the night air as his right paw would raise.

The interior of his paws were heavily padded, so even if he were to strike Cora, it would be more like a punch than getting hit with concealed metal.  Not only that, but Haru was holding back slightly, wanting to see what Cora could do for herself.  After all, the world wasn't going to coddle a child, and she needed to learn that in a fight, mercy and sympathy were rarely found.

The paw strike aimed straight towards Cora's left side, the paw moving slow enough so that she would be able to block, but fast enough so that it would be hard to do so.  After all, Harukaka wasn't putting on kid gloves.  If Cora wasn't good at fighting, then she would need to be shown the difference between the experienced and the inexperienced.  It would show her the kind of combat prowess she may have when she grows older.

[Cora Williams]

Left side...

Her eyes shot open to the familiar whisper. She was barely able to side step at the last moment, and even then she still felt his paw scrap her side.

Yikes! Had those claws have been extended, that would have been the end of me! Cora now locked her eyes on him, her right hand feeling her left side. She was certain that she was going to bruise later.

Already she fell to old habits. She started to survey the area, looking for quick avenues of escape. There was plenty of room to move around in the plaza. The stairs could serve as a spring board for her. She could also escape back into the station and try to use the terrain to her advantage. She eliminated that thought due to the fact that he was not trying to be her enemy. There were also two other exits, one clearly into town and the other into what she assumed was some kind of tunnel based on its design.

She could also try and use her current terrain to her advantage, and she at least had a few more options stashed away in her pocket. Maybe a few classic "deadly dodging" would be enough to wear him out.

She watched him closely and waited to see what he would do next.

[Harukaka]

It was surprising to see the young girl evade his strike, his paw only grazing her as he would suddenly dart back, giving some distance between them as he planned his next attack.  The feline doll was quick to decision, running around the young woman in a circular strafe, his eye's pinned to her before he would leap at her, short body flipping through the air with legs outstretched.

It was certain that, if Cora were to evade this, that Haru would no doubt tumble to the floor, but with how fast he was performing his actions, such a dodge would be a split second action.  Again, Haru would refrain from using his claws, kicking out both his feet towards the young girl.  After all, he didn't want to injure Cora too seriously.  Yet, after previous experience and feeling the essence of magic within her, it was clear to see that she had to be some sort of mage.

"Rrrah!  Come now, fight back!  A heartless or a beast would show you no mercy, and you must show that same commitment in defending yourself!"  Haru would roar, knowing that he would easily win in a battle of attrition if it were to come down to it.  After all, his body didn't need to breathe, and only grew fatigued when his engines were running low on fuel.  After eating those stuffed peppers, Haru's engines were at full capacity.

[Cora Williams]

Defend...

Easier said then done. His speed was astounding. The first dodge was a lucky evasion, and luck was not always reliable to turn too.

By the time the wind whispered to her, he was already about to strike. Seeing no point in dodging, Cora was forced to block. It was sloppily made. Trying to block with her arms only resulted in a hurt right shoulder and her body staggering backwards.

He's right, you know! Even if this is just a spar, you can't afford to hold back! I know you don't have your staff, but you have other weapons. Use them! Try to catch him off guard.

Cora hated when Mana had a point. She was without her staff, so fisticuffs will have to do. She hoped to be able to dash at him before he had a chance to recover, a fist aimed squarely at his stomach.

Her initial acceleration was impressive, a burst of wind pushing her forward to reach her top running speed. Her top running speed was no where near as fast as the Harukitty's, so she hoped to have the initial element of surprise.

[Harukaka]

The feline was impressed by the sudden burst of speed Cora presented, barely able to lift his paws in time to block the punch, the added momentum fueling the blunt strike.  The blow made the cat skid back slightly, claws on his foot-paws scraping against the smooth brick beneath them.  So, it appeared that Cora was a magician, the cat knowing all too well how easy it was to determine a magic user.

"Good, you were able to close the distance quickly...but you lack imagination.  Next time you strike, try and ball up the wind in your fist, and unleash it all at once!"  Harukaka stated, eyes glowing faintly as he would open his muzzle, a flash of light flying from his maw as a small ball of fire hurtled toward Cora.  Again, the spell was near harmless, and would be better suited to lighting a campfire than using in battle, but he had to see how Cora would defend herself against a ranged magical attack.

After all, not every opponent would be fast and aggressive.  Some would be more patient, opting to fight from afar than close the gap and risk injury.  Be they archers or mages, they hardly ever came into close quarters, except on a few rare occasions.

[Cora Williams]

Wait, what?! Ball it into- Was all Cora could think before she saw a strange light coming from his mouth. She couldn't help but think that it was pretty.

Burn... the wind whispered.

That warning woke her up. Through a burst of wind, she side stepped rather dramatically. The spell was probably only wide enough that she could have taken perhaps a foot or two to evade it, but she ended up dodging by a full seven feet. She was being too cautious and too telegraphed in her movement now, but she wasn't ready to stop charging him. She needed to keep up the pressure!

"What do you mean ball it up and release it? You act like I'm some kind of magician!" She called out as she dashed toward him, trying to catch him off guard to pummel him with punches. Should she succeed in closing the distance, whether he could block in time or not, she'd make the fatal mistake of keeping up the attack. This would leave her completely open the moment a counter opportunity was found.

If he succeeded in getting out of her way, she'll end up tripping over her own momentum and keep moving forward, stumbling just to re-orient herself.

[Harukaka]

Rather than attempt to counter and risk injury to himself, Harukaka dipped to the right, letting the young woman move past him, his hood billowing gently in the wind that had been generated. Rather than berate Cora for not understanding his meaning, he would speak calmly, wanting to help the girl utilize her power.

"You use the wind to evade and increase your speed, surely you can use it offensively as well. While I'm not sure how you do what you do, you have to be more offensive with your wind." Harukaka stated, turning to watch as Cora would stumble from the speed she was moving. The young lass clearly had potential, that was for certain, but he needed to draw it out of her, get her to think more aggressively, as the Heartless weren't the kind to just sit still when a punch was thrown their way.

[Cora Williams]

It took her a while to regain her posture. She actually stopped on her tip toes, flailing her arms wildly in an effort to not fall over.

She did succeed in keeping from falling forward, but lacked the coordination to keep from falling backwards. At least she only fell on her rump.

Easier said then done... she thought to herself, getting back to her feet. The wind just kind of... helps. I'm not sure why it wants to help and stuff, but it just does... wait... maybe I can try asking it?

"Well... here goes..." She clasp her hands together and bowed her head in prayer. "Oh wind that blows around us... please please please help me fight back?" She sounded rather unsure of herself. Obviously, that did nothing to help her obtain a more offensive use out of her wind.

"I don't suppose you could tell me how you get Mr. Fire to help you fight back?" she replied, absent mindedly fiddling her fingers together.


Epic... fail...

"Not helping, Mana..." Cora groaned with a slump.

[Harukaka]

The doll couldn't stop himself from tilting his head in confusion, wondering why Cora was trying to cast her magic that way.  Being the apparent teacher now, Harukaka shook his head and was quick to reply, "Well, you don't pray or beg for it.  The magic is an extension of your will.   It's a part of you, unlocked by materia and given form by your thoughts and feelings."

A single, bladed claw flicked out from Harukaka's right sleeve, the doll holding it up as a tiny ball of flame rested atop the metallic blade. Clearing his throat and puffing out his chest a little, Haru would explain, "You have to take command of your magic, control the element you wish to cast, and bend it to your will...silently.  You need to focus on the air, command it's flow, demand it's assistance for it is a part of your being."

The feline then blew out his flame, claw slinking back into his sleeve with a simple twitch of his wrist.  After all, he wasn't going to touch his body with flame willingly anytime soon!

[Cora Williams]

That was enough to cause a blinking eye reaction.

"So... an extension of my will? But... it just always did that for me..." She closed her eyes and tried to think about what it was that made it act the way it did.

"Hmmm... maybe it's doing it because I happen to need it? Because if I need it bad enough it reacts?" She may as well give it a shot.

Okay wind, lets do this! I need a small ball of air! Just a small ball! You can do that, right? I mean, when I really need to go fast, you help me move faster. When I need to jump high, you help me jump higher. And since I always need to know when I could get hurt, you always tell me when I should be careful. So... I really need this ball of air. Because I need it... you should help me with that, right?

She didn't get a ball of air like she had hoped, but she got something. It was a small breeze flowing through her hand.

"I felt something! I felt some- awww, it's not a ball." She said, looking at the wind as it gently phased through her sleeves.

[Harukaka]

"Well, this is the first time you've tried to utilize this way, it takes practice to master it. Just keep trying, give it specific details, like how big the ball will be. Try to start with something small and easy to manage." Harukaka stated, looking around the area for something to give the young girl, before finding exactly what he was looking for.

The cat like doll waltzed over to a pile of debris, and grinned, pulling out a long piece of rebar, with only specks of concrete still attached. "Some mages use staves to focus the magic into, a catalyst or conduit to control their energy. It isn't much, and it might be a bit heavy, but try it out and see if it does anything for you."

Haru walked over to Cora and offered her the staff, the beam of thin, circular metal only slightly taller than she was, and would easily fit in her hands. "Don't ever be afraid to use the environment to your advantage in a fight either. If you don't have a weapon, you either need to run and hide, or improvise one."

[Cora Williams]

Huh? A new staff? It does look a bit heavy... Cora took the staff in her hand and let it's weight fall nearly full force. She had no trouble holding it save for the first few seconds where she grappled with it's balance.

A conduit, huh? Okay, let's give this a whirl!

Once again, all she got was a breeze of wind, though it came a bit more fluidly this time around.

"Nuts... still no ball of air," she complained, "And I was all excited too." She tried swinging it around, just to get the feel for it. It wasn't impossible, but it's weight made it slower to use.

"Hmmm, not as fast as I'm used to either... No, I'm sure with practice I can make it wor- wait!" I get a breeze when I try to make it work. But when I need to move really fast, I get a strong burst of wind! So what if...

She decided to give this new theory a try, calling on the wind to help her wield her staff. She tried swinging the staff upward.

To her elation, the wind replied in kind, pushing her staff at a much greater speed than she could have herself.

Her elation soon turned to shock and surprise when she felt herself falling to her back in the process. Still, she considered this a success, having entered a giggle fit.

"Look! I made it work! Almost!" Cora cried out as her elation was quick to return.