Completed Practice Makes Permanent

Alexandra trains herself in archery

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Syka is a new settlement of primarily humans on the east coast of Falyndar opposite of Riverfall on The Suvan Sea. [Syka Codex]

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Practice Makes Permanent

Postby Alexandra Gainsborough on June 9th, 2018, 1:53 am

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28th of Summer, 518 AV


Having spend a little time on her beach front property Alex has gotten a little more comfortable with her surroundings. She learned how far and when the tide would rise and fall each day and where not to leave her gear. After spending the last few days gathering up random bits of drift wood and different fruit into a pile she felt she was ready. The little mounds of wood should stop her arrows from going to far, anything that fell short would just find its way into the sand. The fruit on the other hand would make a decent target especially if she stacked them.

She took the time to stack up 6 fruits, she was not sure what they were but she liked the color and the smell of them. The larger ones were brown on the outside and yellow on the inside. They were covered in spikes with green palm like leaves on the top. The second fruit were green. It was odd to her that they would be green and ready to eat but many people in the settlement would eat them just like this. They were a pink color on the inside.

Spine erect she turned from the pile and and marched herself away to a line of rocks in the sand she had made earlier in the day. In the sand sat her bow with several arrows buried head deep in the sand, just deep enough to stand. Picking up the bow with a swift action as was plucking the arrow from the sand beneath her boots. She knocked the arrow and took aim before releasing it. The arrow zipped towards its target once again meeting the sand. Quickly she plucked yet another arrow and without much thought she nocked another arrow and released it quickly. This time the arrow launched well past its target, past the pile of wood she had setup as a back stop and found itself skimming the sand before coming to a stop gently resting on the sandy floor. Frustration rearing its head all over her face she quickly reached for a third arrow and pulled it back. This time she took a breath but released it as she fired the next bolt. This one managed to get closer to the target burying itself into the wooden backstop and knocking a few pieces over. Out of frustration she kicked at the sand. "Stupid arrow." She said in her native tongue about ready to throw the bow on the ground. Knowing just how hard it was to get a replacement and how useful it was in feeding herself were the only things that kept her from doing it.
Last edited by Alexandra Gainsborough on June 10th, 2018, 9:55 pm, edited 4 times in total.
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Alexandra Gainsborough
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Practice Makes Permanent

Postby Alexandra Gainsborough on June 9th, 2018, 5:07 am

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Frustrated she set the bow down as gently as she could and balled her hands up into little fists before marching herself towards her target. Her boots dug in just a little bit with each passing step but she kept going at a steady pace until she reached the first arrow. Grabbing it by the middle of the shaft she pulled hard and the sand quickly released it. "Well at least they will be easy to retrieve." She muttered to herself in Nari once again. Without pausing she kept taking her steps past the target. This arrow had traveled quite a distance going more then twice the distance she had expected. "You are always to careless with arrows, Maybe this is why I did not manage to stay on the hunting party with everyone else."

This arrow was just lazily resting on the sand so she reached down and snatched it up leaving behind imprints and taking away a large handful of sand along with the arrow. The passed the arrow from one hand to the other before dusting as much of the sand off as she could on her pants.

Moving over to the third arrow she dropped the others on the ground and rearranged her targets. She had to dismantle and climb over a few pieces of driftwood to get at the one that still firmly held her arrow. Managing to get to the right piece of wood proved to be more difficult then she expected, further still removing the arrow from its new found mate would be that much harder. She pulled and tugged but nothing happened. Chocking up on the shaft she managed to get it to wiggle a little bit. The more she tried the looser it got until she had freed it from the driftwood. The driftwood would not go unmarked as a little of her blood would now stain the wood, she had cut herself on the arrow head.

She ignored it and climbed down the pile before beginning to rearrange everything once again. The wood was the first to move followed by the fruit, not that it had been disturbed. Perhaps if everything was a little more perfectly aligned it would make this task easier.

Once she was satisfied with her target she moved back to her line in the sand. Pushing the arrows into the sand once again. She took a few steps and kicked at the sand before she pulled an arrow and nocked it again. Taking aim she released the arrow and with a thud it stuck into the wood. Making a fist with one hand she gripped her bow tighter in the other. "Calm down" the little redhead said to herself as she reached for another arrow.
Last edited by Alexandra Gainsborough on June 10th, 2018, 10:06 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Alexandra Gainsborough
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Practice Makes Permanent

Postby Alexandra Gainsborough on June 9th, 2018, 11:44 pm

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Closing her eyes she took a few long deep breaths. She thought to herself 'in and out, in and out.' as she took each breath. With her eyes still closed she reached out and grabbed an arrow with uncanny precision. In her minds eyes she felt herself go back and relive some of the training she had been thought in the past. While it was short lived she could still see her instructor in her minds eye taking her and the others through the motions. Moving the arrow around it looks as if she was writing in cursive with the arrow before she brought it to the string. Opening her eyes she pulled the arrow back to her eye and released it.

The arrow sprang forward rushing through the air before striking the ground only a few inches from the target. The arrow struck with enough force to pelt the mound of fruit with the salty little bits of stone. "If the others could see how clipped I am. I need to work harder if I am going to be more then the krric troo chick I was before I left. This is..." She paused for a moment before switching to common as she did not have the word for it in Nari "Shit."

She reached for yet another arrow and took a deep breath trying her best to center herself. Knowing what she needed to do and actually pulling it off were to very different things and today was not her day. Nocking this arrow just like she had before she pulled the string back and took in a breath. Holding her breath she pulled the arrow to her eye and sighted down it. Taking the extra few moments to align to the target was an extra strain on her body. Her arm began to grow tired and the tip of her arrow began to move in small circles around the target while her lungs started to feel like a overfilled water skin, ready to pop. When she could no longer hold her breath in and her arms were to tired to hold steady she released the arrow. The second the arrow separated from the string her lungs expelled the oxygen and quickly forced in fresh air. She pulled the bow to her chest flexing the aching muscle.

Looking up she found this arrow stuck in a piece of driftwood, feathers resting on one of the green fruit. "krric troo!" she exclaimed dropping to her knees before her backside round the ground. She set the bow down and pinched at the muscle.
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Alexandra Gainsborough
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Practice Makes Permanent

Postby Alexandra Gainsborough on June 10th, 2018, 4:35 pm

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Sitting there she looked off into the distance as she rubbed her arm. She muttered to herself. "I am going to die out here. I can not even hit a target that is sitting right in front of me how am I suppose to him something that moves. I am going to die out here, maybe I should have left the nest. At least the jungle will provide me with food to eat. The only kind of birds that eat nuts and berries are the ones that get eaten by other birds. Something bigger and stronger is going to eat me." Flopping forward off of her heels her face hit the sand, rear in the air.

She didn't move until what seemed like hours. Visions of the past filled her thoughts once again. Practicing archery in the past her instructors were cold and unforgiving. The students lined up in a row and assumed the correct position and posture. If an arm dropped or the posture was not correct for even just a moment they would be reminded with a quick snap from a fresh tree limb. Miss a shot and the branch would find its way to your backside or legs. Just a little reminder to do better quickly or find another place to work. Not everyone was good enough for this task.

The sea would soon find her laying on the beach and at first it was a gentle splash of water. Followed by a bit more water, soon after a wave that she could not ignore washed over her knocking her on her side. "krric troo" She called out pushing herself up to her feet. While her arrows remained in place for the moment her bow has began to move towards the water. "No no no no no." She said as she chased the bow towards the sea. She managed to get a grip on it the moment a way came crashing in, knocking her on her backside. She held tight as the water washed over her again doing its best to drag the pair into the watery depths. She rolled and pushed herself up onto hands and knees as the waves crashed over her again and again knocking her flat on her belly each time. She struggled forward inching herself out of the water letting the waters push her forward and digging deep into the sand with her fingers and toes when it pulled out to sea again.

Coughing she finally made it out of the water and up to her feet again. Stumbling forward she moved back up the beach and took a few breaths before she realized she had left her arrows behind. Eyes snapping open she sprang to action and moved as quickly as her feet would allow towards her arrows. The sea had yet to take these from her so she plucked each from the sand. Moving up the beach just enough to be out the tides way she dropped to the ground and took a few deep breaths.

Calming herself, she shook her red locks "I am not dead yet. I can not allow my thoughts to rule me. I am in control. I must practice so I may be better tomorrow then I am today." with some effort she pushed herself onto her feet, nocked another arrow and fired at her target. Without a thought of where it might hit she grabbed the next one and fired again then again.
Last edited by Alexandra Gainsborough on June 10th, 2018, 10:28 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Alexandra Gainsborough
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Practice Makes Permanent

Postby Alexandra Gainsborough on June 10th, 2018, 5:21 pm

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One arrow zipped towards its target after the next until she was out of bolts. One after another each arrow missed its mark only to bury itself in the ground near by. With the last bolt launched towards the group of fruit she plopped back down in the same and took a short rest. "I have spent to much time by myself. How long has it been since I spoke to another person? I really need to go make myself useful in town. Maybe tomorrow."

After this short rest she pushed herself up once again and walked over to her target gathering arrows along the way. only a few arrows fell short of the target with the majority of them flying well past it. "Well if I manage to hit something at least I know it will stick." This brought her a little pride as she always struggled to pull the bow back. The draw on this bow was meant for someone with a little more body mass then she had. The arrows stuck in the wood proved to be more difficult to remove then the ones in the sand.

Returning to her new starting line took longer then it had before but her body was beginning to tell her to end the day. Tossing all of the arrows on the ground save for one she took a few deep breaths. She pulled back the arrow, her arms shaking and released the arrow. It fell short of her target. Her arm tired she nocked another arrow, pulled it back and let it fly forward. It fell short as well, not more than a foot from its brother.

Pulling back the next arrow and let it go. The arrow went flying forward but the bowstring decided to kiss her arm leaving quite the welt. She nearly dropped the bow as she sucked in air making a hissing sound. "Oooouch." She took the bow in her other hand and began to shake her arm trying to get the feeling to pass as quickly as possible. "Maybe I should look into getting a brace." She took two deep breaths and moved her bow back into her left hand. Taking another arrow she took a few deep breaths. She shook her head, nocked the arrow and pulled it back. Her hands shook as she took in a breath. She held it in and took aim. She counted back in her head '5... 4... 3...' and she released the arrow. '2... 1...' Exhaling she watched the arrow fly and pierce the flesh of one of the yellow fruits. "Finally!" She exclaimed.
Last edited by Alexandra Gainsborough on June 10th, 2018, 10:33 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Alexandra Gainsborough
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Practice Makes Permanent

Postby Alexandra Gainsborough on June 10th, 2018, 9:37 pm

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Your grades have arrived!

PC Name #1

Skills
*Skill 1
*Foraging +1
*Weapon skill: short bow +5
*Meditation: +1
*Endurance: +3


Lores
*Lore: High and low tide
*Lore: Pineapple
*Lore: Guava








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User avatar
Alexandra Gainsborough
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Posts: 114
Words: 77257
Joined roleplay: January 21st, 2018, 11:38 pm
Race: Human, Inarta
Character sheet
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