Flashback [Solo] True Aim

Snaeha spends an evening training in the Sickle & Arrow

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A surreal cavern city inhabited by Symenestra where stones glow and streets are reams of silk. Cocoon like structures hang between stalactites and cascade over limestone flows in organic and eerie arabesques. Without a Symenestra willing to escort you, entrance is impossible.

[Solo] True Aim

Postby Snaeha Datura on March 31st, 2013, 3:39 pm

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||19th Fall, 512AV || The sickle and Arrow ||

The air was cool and still, with a great fat white moon hanging in the sky. Snaeha took a moment to appreciate the whisperings of a breeze she felt on her ashen skin before pushing onto business. Ahead of her stalked Dorav, her aspirational elder brother who was as pushy as he was sullen.

”Come on, Snaeha. Why are you being so slow?” He barked, glancing to her long enough for Snaeha to begrudgingly quicken her pace.

They soon came to their destination: the tired looking grey building where their people came to train. Quickly as they arrived, Dorav stormed off to practise his own weaponry, leaving Snaeha to pout and find something to entertain herself in the meantime.

Fortunately, she did not have to wait long.

”Anything I can help you with?” The young man who spoke to her was not one of the trainers Snaeha had seen before, though that was far from a bad thing. He was tall, with a shock of black hair and cheekbones that she was almost jealous of.

And best of all, in his hands was a short bow.

"I was hoping to practise my archery,” she said soothingly, a coy smile on her lips.

”Well, you came to the right place,” her new acquaintance waved a pale hand towards the skins pinned up on the wall. Trophies, Snaeha knew, and pretty impressive if she were to be truly honest.

She shrugged off her shortbow and held it in her hands, with a mischievous look in her eyes.
"This isn’t my first time,” she said pointedly, shifting herself to the left of the room. He would follow, she knew.

They always followed.

She set about her training, catching out of the corning of her eye the young male moseying towards her: oh, how predictable. But she pretended not to see, or care, and instead thoroughly investigated her bowstring. She had bought six arrows with her; delicate ones made out of skinny twigs her father had made the previous day.

When her arrow was notched, Snaeha twisted herself perpendicular to the bull’s-eye target, her feet angled so they pointed ahead of her. When she pulled the bowstring back, she lowered her head a little to look straight down the shaft of the arrow, training it onto the yellow centre of her target. 1… 2… 3…

She released the arrow, straightening herself as she did and --

-- her arrow completely missed, veering off target and thudding against the wall behind it.

Shyke.

”You moved.” Snaeha spun around to stare at her admirer incredulously, irked by his sudden criticism. Who did he think he was? ”You should stay completely still until your arrow has hit the target. If you move, you’ll send the arrow off in another direction.”

Snaeha bristled with annoyance, but as she dipped down and selected another arrow, she tried her best to speak light-heartedly, ”I did not realise you were a trainer.” Who was he to criticise her technique, anyway?

He smiled tightly and shrugged his narrow shoulders,
”I’m not. But I can hit a target a damn sight better than you.”

Snaeha frowned, her jaw dropping an inch or so in pure shock. Nobody ever spoke so bluntly to her, not even her damn brothers! ”It was my first shot.” She muttered sullenly, folding her arms and giving the young man a challenging look.

Her apparent ‘trainer’ was not amused.
”And if you had been hunting, you would have missed your target and sent it running off.” He gave her one more disapproving look before nodding towards her bow and saying, ”try again.”

If there was one thing Snaeha detested, it was losing face; especially to some cocky guy who thought he was ten times the archer she was. She would not let this fellow think he had outsmarted her as well as be a better archer than her. So she obliged, albeit resentfully. This time when she notched her arrow she made sure her positioning could not flawed: back straight, feet angled slightly towards the target…

…almost falling over when her poker-faced not-a-trainer gently tapped her foot, scowling as he did so,
”Feet pointed dead ahead, not at an angle. That’s better.”

She would have glared at him and told this stranger just where to stick his helpful tips, but as she altered her stance to incorporate his orders, even Snaeha had to admit she felt damn sight more comfortable with her feet not angled. She grunted her thanks before trying once again.

This time, the arrow landed a damn sight closer to the bull’s-eye than her previous attempt. Snaeha merely shrugged, trying her upmost to hide her joy and sudden need to cheer.


|| Snaeha's speech || Snaeha's thoughts || Others' speech ||
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Last edited by Snaeha Datura on April 19th, 2013, 9:45 am, edited 1 time in total.
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[Solo] True Aim

Postby Snaeha Datura on March 31st, 2013, 5:26 pm

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Keeping a cool expression on her face, she turned to her mysterious new friend, eyeing him suspiciously. She should learn more about this fellow, she knew, but did not want to go about it intrusively. ”Any reason you’re sharing your tips with a stranger?”

He tilted his head to one side, as if weighing up several potential answers in his mind before answering. Eventually he simply shrugged,
”you look like you needed some help.” His answer was a simple one, but Snaeha frowned. She did not appreciate strangers judging her so unkindly.

”My aim isn’t that bad…” she grumbled, pouting.

He did not reply, but instead nodded once again to the short bow in her hand. Not normally one to simply abide orders, Snaeha hesitated before notching a third arrow. If someone is willing to give me a few pointers, she thought diplomatically, impressed with her own maturity, I should take advantage of it.

Now that was something Snaeha was more familiar with.

She pulled back her bowstring, purple eyes narrowing once more in concentration. Feet straight; check. Back straight; check… She shuffled herself a little before finally holding still once again and training her arrow onto her target. 1…2…3…

Release.

Her arrow thudded into the bull’s-eye, two inches or so from the centre. Instead of scowling, she simply turned to the unnamed young man next to her, watching him expectantly.

”Better,” he began, ”but you move your torso a bit when you pull your bowstring back. You shouldn’t.”

His blunt tone was still a little hard to swallow, but Snaeha would sacrifice her pride so long as his advice was worthwhile. Perhaps others would question such morals, but Snaeha was less than concerned with that fact. If her archery could be improved with this stranger’s (harshly worded) tips, then she was happy to smile pleasantly and nod along.

She tried a fourth time, her actions becoming more fluid now. An arrow was selected and notched. This time when she drew her bowstring, but consciously kept her muscles tight and still, barely even breathing. When she released this arrow, it slammed straight into the centre of the target.

This time, she did not conceal her joy - or her incredulity.

Once again, her not-a-trainer ruined her celebrations with a dour face and cool words.
”Again.” he ordered, golden eyes show absolutely no celebrations whatsoever.

Snaeha huffed indignantly, but did as he bid. Arrow notched, drawn back, body still… The arrow was released and although it was not as perfect as her previous attempt, she was still delighted with the outcome.
”Oh come on,” she said desperately, hunting for a (long-deserved) congratulations, ”if that had been some woodland creature it’d be dead as anything!”

I never have to work this hard for a compliment…


|| Snaeha's speech || Snaeha's thoughts || Others' speech ||
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[Solo] True Aim

Postby Snaeha Datura on April 19th, 2013, 10:21 am

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This time, the young man threw her a smirk that actually reached his golden eyes. Snaeha was almost knocked aback with surprise. ”Yes, I suppose so. But one lucky shot isn’t enough.” His smile was gone now, and he stroked his smooth chin with his right hand thoughtfully. ”Try again.”

That was as good as she was going to get compliment-wise, so Snaeha sighed and nodded. She had two arrows left, and she wanted to make them count.

The first of the two arrows was notched and drawn back. But just before she released her, Snaeha felt a cool hand on her bent elbow.
”You shouldn’t pull this arm up and back, just straight back. Otherwise your arrow will aim downwards.” He spoke right into her ear, his voice low and breathy. Snaeha made a small noise to show her fake confusion. After grumbling, he encased both of his hands over hers, bringing the hand that gripped her bow up and the one pulling the bowstring down.

He could not see it, but Snaeha now wore a triumphant smirk. When it comes to aiding helpless women, all men are the same.

As her not-a-trainer stepped away, she released the arrow, keeping her muscles just as taut as she did before. It landed an inch or two from the centre of the bull’s-eye. Despite the imperfection in her shot, Snaeha nodded proudly all the same. She turned to the mysterious gent, but spoke before he did, a knowing grin on her face.

”I know, I know; ‘again’.”

He nodded, and she thought she could see the beginnings of yet another smile on his face. I’ll win you over by the end of this evening, she thought.

The sixth and final arrow was notched, and Snaeha made sure her hands kept straight and level with each other. The thumb of her hand that pulled the bowstring brushed her cheekbone, and out of the corner of her eye she saw an approving nod from her acquaintance. Her feet were pointed ahead of her, perpendicular to her target. Her back was straight, arms level…

She let the arrow fly, and it thudded into the target a hair’s breath away from the centre. Now she turned to the young man, her purple eyes glinting with mischief. He had taught her something… Now she hoped to have some fun in thanking him.
”How can I thank you?

The young man, however, seemed to have other ideas.
”Go collect your arrows. I’ll show you how it’s really done.”


|| Snaeha's speech || Snaeha's thoughts || Others' speech ||
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Last edited by Snaeha Datura on April 23rd, 2013, 9:29 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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[Solo] True Aim

Postby Poison on April 20th, 2013, 12:50 pm

THREAD AWARD!

Skills: Observation 2, Shortbow 3

Lores: Accepting Advice, One Lucky Shot Isn’t Enough

Notes: Kalinor (and the Sickle and Arrow) is underground. Thus Snaeha wouldn’t know anything about the great fat white moon hanging in the sky, and she also wouldn’t feel a breeze. There is no breze in Kalinor.

Having written that, I quite enjoyed this short solo – and the interaction between Snaeha and the not-a-trainer. I hope you’ll write a continuation of the solo sometimes and have Snaeha find out more about him!

If you have any issues with my grading, if you think I haven’t awarded you enough (or too many?) XP and Lores, send me a PM, and I’ll take another look at the thread.

By the way, I think your post template is beautiful!
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