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The Rift.


It wasn't exactly a place she was the most familiar with, but Tantalite found it was at least a place she could be herself to practice with the weapon-that-wasn't-a-weapon and not suddenly find herself with entirely unnecessary company in their white uniforms and their magic. While healed, the acid burns still tingled underneath her skin, reminding her that they had been there.

She'd break that senshi if she saw him again, but to do so, she'd need to...

A violin bow was not a weapon, and the more she improved her ability to even step and move with it after the fencing lessons that Renegade Media was supplying her with, the steps felt right, but it was her weird connection with the bow that didn't.

People came and went from the training grounds with such frequency that she'd stopped actively noticing who was there and who was not. Most were often doing their own thing and didn't have the time to pay attention to what she was up to anyways - it relieved a certain sense of perfectionism she had for what others saw of her.

Said perfectionism slipped back in immediately when she realized somebody was paying attention to what she was doing with the violin bow, her posture immediately perking up. "Perhaps," she stated, arm not lowering from the position it held the bow in, though Tantalite looked from it over to the stranger (from experience, she'd guess he was higher ranking from how he spoke). "There is value in that, but," would it sound whiny to say 'I'm a professional violinist and if I hurt my hands that effects my civilian ability to work'? The more she tried to justify it, the whinier it did sound.

Heck.

"I'm looking to translate my lessons with a fencing sword over to..." she held the bow and swished around one end of it with a sort of vagueness that said everything and then nothing. "I take it you're a bit handier with your fists, then?"

The consideration of using her feet caused her to 'Hmmmm' lightly, as though she hadn't fully considered that option - and to be fair, she absolutely hadn't. "They do say the legs are stronger, I think that would be a great idea to pair with a blade or a..." she was fairly certain a blade would handle well in her hands as long as it was light. She'd just require practice.

As he drew closer, she turned to face him with the full attention he desired, lowering her arm closer into herself in a habitual manner - not as one would handle a weapon, but as one would have handled the bow for it's actual use. As he summoned in his cane, she looked at it with some interest, sizing it up. "I can't say I'm all too experienced with fencing stances, so you won't be at too much of a disadvantage there," as she spoke, she motioned with her non-weapon'd hand to his cane, "And you'll already have reach on me, so it shouldn't be a problem."

After a moment of thought, she added, with a small bow, "I'm Tantalite."

"A pleasure," she inclined her head in another mock of a bow.

She considered the bow, a small frown gracing her lips in consideration. "Well, I'm certain they wouldn't give either of us something we can't handle, yes?" Though irony would dictate they do exactly that. Wasn't that the point? To make it so their army couldn't function properly because of ill suited weaponry?

Oh wait...

"What I want, hmmm?" she considered it for a minute, turning the bow over in her hand as she mulled his offer over. "I feel like perhaps that may be best." How many times had the bow been yanked out of her hand? (Two. Two times.) "A little self defense wouldn't go unused, certainly."

So the idea was 'we don't want you to hurt yourself'? That seemed eerily...thoughtful. Not that she'd met anybody who was to the contrary within their faction, but it seemed a little uncharacteristic.

But Tantalite wasn't in charge, so...

He told her to get ready, but it was actually that statement that made her realize just how..not ready she was. What was ready like? Tantalite could have waited forever trying to think that over, and it said a lot. Not inclined to make her dance partner wait, however, she made up her mind a bit quicker.

"I'm as ready as I'm going to be."

The unfortunate truth. Even more so in that Arseno's punch hit her squarely in the chest, causing the young woman to reel back a step with a wheeze. She should have at least somewhat deflected it with her arms, but that violin was in her mind. She needed to keep her arms. That thinking could get her killed in another scenario.

Breath only barely recovered, she shuffle-stepped backwards, bringing the bow back up into a position prime for a jabbing motion. This gave her two options. Keep distance and jab, or make more distance as needed.

She'd hope for a chance to get her own shot in next time he lifted an arm. That spot under the armpit had seemed like a sweet spot.

"And here I am again...."

Thing she would note:

This was the third time somebody had grabbed for her arm while she was attacking. Which clearly meant that Arseno's assessment was right on the money: she was open to having it grabbed. Which of course it was. Of course she was grabbed again.

But she immediately relinquished her weapon out of the hand, allowing it to drop from her grasp so she could summon it over to the other hand.

They both had a hand free, and both legs.What could she do with that.

A low hum, she pointed stepped in, placing her legs awkwardly to try and prevent much in the form of kicking at the least, while seeking out a good threatening spot to point the bow into. Well this would at least be hilariously intimate looking.

She wasn't interested.

To be fair, she just wasn't interested in such things, so it was simply awkward because of bodily proximity.

Tantalite gave Arseno a considering look as he gave her some options she could use from there. She regarded the bow, then both his face as well as the rest of his torso. She also had the option of raising her knee.

Still, the advice wasn't entirely unused. "A bow is flimsy, not much good for hitting." Albeit, a solid 'WHAP' on one eyebrow would definitely at least confuse in a pinch. The idea of actually jabbing someone in the eye, though.....had Tantalite reached a point where she was ready to seriously hurt somebody?

"I also, depending on the situation and what mobility I had, could aim for the armpit area to try and incapacitate an arm." she leaned back from the scenario, actually looking down the way their bodies were positioned to see what else seemed to line up.

"In the case of an opponent that was stronger than me and could overpower me, I'd say the eye is the best shot."

Not keen to hurt him, she gently tapped the end of the bow against the underside of his eyebrow in mock of this. No need to actually take an eye out. "I appreciate you letting me logic that one through for a minute."

Holding out her arm, Tantalite considered the angle of her wrist, twisting it from one side to another. Then she held the bow where her arm would have sat had she been trying to jab him in the armpit, and frowned.

"In a less intimate position, then." she decided. It just bent her arm too far out of whack to do otherwise. "If this weapon gets much longer, I also need to consider my options when I don't have the range I'd like," this was something Tantalite hadn't considered either. She'd need to find another option for up close and personal and strive to keep her distance.


This was easier to thing through when she didn't have acid and tonfas being thrown at her face.

"Oh, I'd learn, perhaps, but I could also make mistakes that could hurt either of us, both of us, or just not be the right lesson," she perked up and smiled, finally stepping back and gently hooking the top of one foot behind the back of his ankle.

"From this, I'd want to make you release me with the blow to the face, then perhaps take advantage of the confusion to knock you over. I seem to have a sweet spot for my potential range. Not too far, not too close.