awashlogs | May Catch-All

He's prepared, and Aqua can admire that. It reminds her of herself, of the times when they'd had harder training sessions and she'd been the one to remember to bring food and water. It's a memory that makes her heart ache, but she can't dwell on it when she has a purpose for being here.

"Alright." Her keyblade appears in her hand in a burst of light. "Small isn't an issue." Her control is excellent, after all. Aqua raises her weapon, sending forth a chain of fireballs. They're small, but powerful, and Aqua hardly breaks a sweat as she cycles through her spells: ice next, then wind, then thunder, then magnet, which she uses to pull a few rocks to her.

When the rocks have hit the ground, she turns to Nyx. "Those are my most basic spells, but I'm capable of making them much, much more powerful."

He watches, nodding along with each spell. They're not quite the same as his own, different in the way they're cast. He can tell right away that it's definitely not the King's magic that powers them. As she cycles through the spells he doesn't know, his eyebrows raise towards his hairline and by the time she's finished he looks appreciative.

"You have a wider range than I do. I've never seen your wind spell or the last one."

Offering up his own ability in kind, he holds up one hand, fire flicking to life in his palm. Focusing the magic down his arm he casts towards the target: first a single burst of fire, before bringing up his other arm to throw a bolt of thunder behind it. His blizzard is a little strong, cooling the damage he caused instantly and spreading frost across the ground towards their feet.

Nyx wipes his hands on his coat.

"What's that weapon, by the way? Is that the key you mentioned on the forum?"

"It's one of my more difficult spells, but it is useful for smaller enemies."

Aqua watches, and while she's interested in the ways his magic differs, she's mostly impressed. It's no wonder he'd been fairly interested; he'd been right, too, that their skillsets are similar.

At his question, she raises her weapon.

"Yes, this is the keyblade. It wasn't originally mine, but it was my master's. I inherited it some time ago, but it responds just as well to me."

"Is that the source of your magic?"

Her summoning it was very reminiscent of the King's armiger, since he's still drawing similarities. He's a little jealous. No handy pocket dimension to keep his kukri.

He supposes he might be able to ask Noct to use his, or, hell, maybe to teach him how to make one, but he'd rather not impose. He's been carrying his weapons for twelve years after all.

Aqua shakes her head. As she does, she looks at her keyblade.

"Not so much, no. I'm capable of some magic on my own, but my keyblade could be considered a sort of conduit." She pauses for a moment. "I can change the form of my keyblade--or I could, if I had the proper items. Each keychain strengthens it in different ways; I prefer ones that strengthen my magic."

"Changing your weapon with a keychain?" Forgive him if he sounds incredulous. Magical items are well above his pay grade to begin with, but he'd never heard of such a thing in his world. Initially if you'd asked him twenty minutes ago he'd say fighting with a key wasn't a solid strategy, either, but color him impressed all around.

"Well, they aren't given to just anyone," Aqua replies with a shake of her head. "And if someone without the ability to wield the keyblade came into possession of one, it would be a normal keychain. For keybearers, though, they're very magical. I received nearly all of mine through helping people."

"That's wild. And I've seen some crazy shit." The Lucis Caelum family kinda defined crazy shit, honestly. And that doesn't even go into the Empire...

"So now it begs the question: it's called a blade, right? Can you fight with it?" It just looks like a giant key to him. Other than blunt damage, what's the worst it could do physically?

"Of course." She raises her eyebrows. "Whether it's against monsters or people, I'm more than capable of fighting."

It's not a typical weapon, she realizes. Keybearers are supposed to keep quiet about it, generally; worlds in which a keybearer has never appeared have never even heard of the weapon. So while she doesn't blame anyone for underestimating it... Aqua can't help but see that as quite the mistake.

"I could show you, if you would like."

Her confidence is noted, at least. Nyx nods. "I can't get an accurate estimation of your abilities until you try to knock me down. Having the skill is good, but being able to use them efficiently is a whole different story."

She understands his reasoning, at least, and she doesn't seem bothered by his questioning. Instead, she just nods and moves into a defensive stance.

"I think you'll find I can use them efficiently enough. I'm ready when you are."

Nyx pulls his kukri, confident enough of their skills that he has no qualms about using naked blades in a simple spar. He has a feeling he'd have to really try to hit her, if only because of her cycle of spells.

But that doesn't mean he has to go easy on her, either. He channels magic through his hands, tiny arcs of electricity hopping from his skin to the metal. It's just enough to give a small shock, and all he has to do is get close enough.

"I'm always ready."

It's the only warning he gives before exploding into motion with a grin. He closes the distance with a direct attack, testing her defense.

That's new... and interesting. Aqua is nearly curious enough to ask now more about his abilities, but there's a time and place, and now and here is neither. It might be only a spar, an assessment, but her mind treats it as a real battle.

Eraqus had taught her that, above almost anything else. She watches him come forward, and Aqua slides into a defensive position. When the attack hits, she slides back a little, but her arms remain steady. With a grunt, Aqua moves to push forward, to counter him.

His blades catch on the key, and he has to give it that the thing is sturdy as hell. There isn't even a notch from his kukri to even suggest she took the full weight of his attack. He likes it.

But he doesn't stop to grapple, instead disengaging with a side step to avoid her own swing and twisting to attack under her guard this time.

One thing is for sure, he's keeping her on her toes. The last time she'd been challenged like this--at least, in a way where she didn't feel like her life or others' were on the line--had been back home, when she and Terra had fought during the exam.

It feels like an eternity away, and Aqua's a little caught up in the memories that she slips up. It's only a moment, but the hit lands, and Aqua jumps back to catch her breath. She shakes her head, then launches forward, crouching low to swing at his legs.

Nyx notes the hesitation and keeps track of it to ask about later. It might not be important but he's a billboard example of stray thoughts potentially causing injury.

She doesn't give him much time to think about it, at any rate, and she's fast enough that he has to jump over her strike. Great maneuverability, good judgment of her opponent. Aqua's keyblade clips the toe of his boot and he has to go with the fall or else risk stumbling. Nyx curls in his shoulder toward the ground, letting the momentum carry him back up into a crouch.

As he rights himself, Nyx crosses his kukri up and in front of him in case Aqua is pressing her attack.

Aqua whirls around, just in time for him to lift his kukri. For a moment--or several--she doesn't move toward him. Rather, she's assessing him, eyes trained on him as she steps back.

It's then that she gets an idea. Aqua jumps back again, putting even more distance between them, and she casts a long line of blizzard at the ground. Then, she runs and jumps onto it to build her momentum, and when she gets close enough, she jumps and aims her keyblade down at him from above.

He starts laughing as he bends to the side, using his kukri to divert her attack rather than trying to shoulder all her momentum himself. What the heck was that? His blizzard isn't nearly so precise!

But he can still answer in kind, casting the ice on the ground where she's landing as he puts distance between them again. "Clever. I'm jealous, that looked like fun."

May Catch-All

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