The Crucible

The Colosseum, Midday,

Snow still coats the grounds of the arena, it having been packed down and mixed with sand and mud after several bouts of practice and matches. Currently, it's break time for training, as the stands are half filled with milling spectators, and the grounds are filling in new targets and cleaning up loose debris from previous encounters.

Off to the side, a scarred mul'neissan woman in a verdant green coat has her hands on her hips, ponytail swaying as she shakes her head and tsks at a tiny group of four people.

A bushy haired lucht woman with a thin rapier.

A scraggly Arvek Nar man with a large, half cobbled together club.

An Oruch woman decked head to toe in armor carrying a bastard sword.

And a human man in fine clothes with several daggers.

Every single one of them is mottled black and blue, panting, leaning against weapons or kneeling on the ground.

"At least you all have spirit," Aryia signs flatly. <Handspeech>

"Fucking..." the Oruch woman wheezes, "... new team is... savage."

The human falls over to plant his bruised face in the snow. "... Scaled Fist, was it?" he mentions, muffled.

Aryia shrugs. "Losses happen. I think you all did well, circumstances given," she commends, looking pensively out towards the exit gates. <Handspeech>

Aya enters the arena, intending to witness one or more matches for a specific school or team. The sight of Aryia, and her group, is heartening... until she realizes that she may have arrived a touch late. Still, Aya makes her way towards the gathered and ... resting combatants.

The cold never bothered Thoth. At least, not in the way it bothers softskins. That has not stopped bits of ice from hanging from its tattered metalic wings, and even from its beak. It has come to the Colosseum once more. Partially to think on recent revalations, and partially to try and ready itself.

So much harm has come to it throughout its short time Adventuring, it is needing to look into ways to better protect itself. To discern how to best strategize. And the mul'neissan woman is in a ways, a role model for it so far.

It's at the side of the Arena, sitting on the wall itself. Observing. It believes it recognizes the Lucht woman from the last time it came here. The others, it doesn't recognize as well.

It watches as Aya also comes in, before chirping at the group. "How do you improve, after a defeat like this?" It asks of Aryia. "They took much damage. What are ways to prevent damage from coming to them?"

"Doesn't matter!" the Lucht fencer huffs, falling to a seat on the ground before crossing her arms. "You saw what they did! That wasn't a fight, they were going for sabotage!"

The coach raises a hand to allay them. "I know. For now, we recover, make sure bones aren't broken and tendons aren't fucked. We'll go over-" Her signs are interrupted by her sister's arrival, the mild frown on her face inverting. "Hello sister. Good to see you." <Handspeech>

The group gives a half hearted wave hello, groaning in pain.

Attention drifts to the metallic bird with a side of ice. Heads turn upwards. The gladiators' faces grimace at the bluntness. "Even if you get your shit kicked in- uh. Get beat really bad-" she corrects herself, used to speaking with golems, "-there is always lessons to extract from defeat. For this circumstance? Learning the opponent's intentions. That match wasn't meant to win or lose, it was to fuck my team up. You saw the whole thing, Thoth?" <Handspeech/Tongues>

Aya returns the greetings with a nod to the team, and a smile to her sister.. though the later inverts somewhat at Aryia's words and a brow lifts. "You arranged for an.. educational defeat, sister?" The quartet of combatants receive anew glance, this one possibly sympathetic. She then looks to Thoth, perhaps envious that she did not witness the entirety.

Thoth slowly nods its head. "This one did witness it. But this one is bad at perceiving goals and objectives out of its enemies. This one understands when hostile actions are being taken. But this one did not understand this was about... intercourse?" It tilts its head. Considering this for a moment. "Ah. This one understands. A colloquialism. Harm team. But is it not always a goal in a battle to harm the other party?"

The small War Golem then carefully begins to clamber down the wall. Using its clawed feet and fingers to drag down the wall for a bit. Ending up down on the ground, and only /then/ looks to its feet to make sure it's nice and secure in place, before moving towards the group itself.

"This one is not a healer, so it cannot help with tendons and bones." It adds helpfully. "For that, this one apologizes."

Aryia shakes her head. "No, I the only arranging I did was sign the team up for a match," she signs. "Hoping to get something educational out of it. It was pretty fucked up. Lots of shit I'd only do if I'm trying to snap something in half." <Handspeech>

The team and their coach stare at Thoth. Before a weak wave of sputtering and pained snickering worms its way through the group. Aryia fails to hide an amused smirk. "Not in this battle. The battle here is to put on a good show, and to win, and in the end, learn. Harm happens, but it is not the goal. The other team's goal was to harm, and that's... not what this place is about." She watches Thoth clamber down, her stepping forth to offer a hand to assist the little golem down further until they have themselves secure. "It's fine, they'll walk it off. The healers here can get to them when they get to the lockers." <Handspeech/Tongues>

The quartet groans.

Aya ahs softly, then frowns when Aryia expounds. "In other settings, or another time, I would applaud your opponents' dedication and viciousness... but not here. As you noted, harm isn't the goal, here. It seems they are the ones who have the most to learn, rather than this team," a light gesture to the groaning quartet.

Thoth thanks Aryia when it manages to get down, before approaching the group a bit closer. "A fight for Entertainment. Understood." Thoth remarks. "So it was a breaking of... a..." Tilting its head. "Sort of Social Contract." A word it has recently learned, but honestly, hasn't a bloody clue about.

"This one has only faced Monsters and combatants that wished to destroy this one's life and body, when it has come to this." It then points out. "What will this team do when they next meet this same group? Will they answer Harm with Harm? Or will they employ different tactics to cope in a different manner? Will they assume Harm is the intent once more?" It then inquires.

"This one ask, at its core... how does one prepare for one that should not do harm, doing harm? If this were an Adventure, rather than an Arena battle, one would need to run away to learn this lesson and survive. But what it one cannot run?"

"If only learning was the other team's intention," Aryia sighs before looking around at the team. A though crosses her, and she motions to each of them. "This is my team. You've met Claria, sister." The lucht lays supine, giving a half hearted wave.

"Luid." The Nar man nods, rubbing at a bruise on his arm.

"Tresh’kin." The armored Oruch woman slides the visor of her helmet up.

"And Igor." The well dressed human man remains prone on the ground in the snow. "This is The Crucible."

Great first impression, considering they're all beaten black and blue. Aryia turns to Thoth, nodding sharply. "Very much so. Crowd didn't notice though. Seemed to go unnoticed until after the fact." The question is met with a shake of the head. "Harm won't be met with harm. But different tactics will be used for certain. Very firm, bold tactics, to tell them we're not putting up with their shit." She smiles.

The coach shifts on her feet, white brows knitted and chin tucked in thought. After a moment, she gestures slowly. "... you can't." That's it? "You can't prepare for something to go awry that wasn't supposed to. I know how you think. You have to have a plan for everything. That's just not possible. You have to use your own judgement to adapt to changing situations. In adventuring, you have others to rely on to fill in things you can't do. In this place, we have different tactics and fighting styles. But you can't plan everything. Nothing goes to plan. If you can't run, fight, you can't fight, hide, if you can't hide, plead. If you can't do any of that, firm your resolve, bear through whatever pain is to come, and have faith in those you are with you get you out so you can survive and learn." <Handspeech>

Aya returns the greetings of the newly- and re-introduced members individually, regardless of their perhaps less-than-grandiose state. "As prudent and useful as contingencies for any and every circumstance would be, it really is not possible," she then agrees with Aryia. "Yet..." a pause to consider, "if their brutal intent is consistent, use it against them."

She looks to Thoth as she nods. "Adapt is all one can do, as best as they can do so. There is no guarantee that one will always choose, or be able to choose, the ideal response."

Another set of click-clacks of Thoth's beak. Taking in the names. Claria, Luid, Tresh'kin, and Igor. It remembers the title of Crucible.

"This one believes it remembers these names from the introduction of the team, at the beginning of the match." It notes. It then tilts its head when Aryia explains the matter of harm not being met with harm.

There is surprise on its face.

"Why not?" It asks. It's a simple question with perhaps a more complex answer than it is expecting.

And when it is then explained on the matter of plans, it looks... frustrated? Not in a bad way, but worried all the same. Its expression is hard to read, but the way it tilts its head towards its wings. The way it stretches its limbs a bit. There's discomfort in its body-language in different ways, if one knows where to look.

In the end, it nods. "This one does not like this." That it cannot plan for changing situations. "But it will adjust as per instructions. Is this why they always say to never Adventure alone?" It then nods to Aya. "And how do you use brutality against a foe?"

Aryia smiles at Aya. "Don't worry, I will." There's a look in those eyes behind the shades belies whatever the mute has in mind to teach her team, it's going to be viscous.

She turns to Thoth, the smile remaining on her face. "I could give you an complicated reason about social contracts and what not. But simply put, I want to kick their ass on our own terms. Show them that we don't have to stoop to their level to take their bait. Brutality has its place. This isn't the place."

She crosses her arms, leaning on her back foot as she watches the golem express its annoyance. Her lips quirk to to the side. "I get that it goes against directives that run in your data banks," she signs with a somewhat sympathetic look crossing her scarred face. "But that's what life will do. And the sooner you can accept it and learn to adapt on a moment to moment basis without get paralyzed by indecision, the sooner- and faster- you can grow and learn." A nod. "Exactly. I'm fucking good at beating the shit out of stuff. But give me magical problems? I'm screwed. Need a mage. Not my thing."

The question to Aya gets a curious raise of the brow. Apparently having some vested interest in the answer. <Handspeech/Tongues>

It is a fair question, and Aya did directly lead towards it. Still, she takes a moment to consider. "I did not witness their tactics first-hand," she offers as minor caveat, "but if they seek to harm, that would make their actions focused, yes? Heavy and powerful strikes to injure? These would tend to be slower, less able to react. Outmaneuver them, avoid their attacks. If that is what they know, they would expect the same in return; defy their expectations. Strike opportunisticly, strike to hamper, not to wound. Counter visciousness with patience and precision."

Aya adds, after, to Aryia, "Magi react the same to beatings, sister," she offers a smirk. "You may not be able to strike their spells, but broken jaws and fingers tend to prevent further magic."

"This one thinks it understands, at a 67 confidence rating." Thoth answers Aryia as she mentions kicking ass on her own terms. "This one believes this has to do with the term 'Morals', 'Glory', 'Integrity', 'Principle' or 'Narcissism'. Please pick."

Click click goes the beak.

It then takes note of Aya, and nods its head. "Exhaust them. Understood. This one understands this tactic. Many mages cast magic on their party. It can be easier to wait half an hour and let those spells expire before properly engaging with the opposing party." It notes.

"This one will offer to be your Mage if you require assistance with... non-physical things." It then offers to Aryia.

The coach can't help but let out a silent bark of a laugh. It sounding more like a wheeze than anything substantial "Integrity, morals, principle, and a dash of narcissism," she answers, amused. Several nods of agreement with Aya follow on how to deal with such brutality. "It has its place, brutality. Monsters, for one. When you want to make sure something is totally and completely beaten. Just not here."

She smirks at her sister. "Of course they do. I aim to do that. But some spells you can- it took a minute, but I punched through Telamon's wall of force a few weeks ago. Shit was hard."

Her ponderance turns to Thoth. "You can, but, mind that if a mage is using magic on the party, you don't have half an hour. You have half a minute because the party is coming to /you/. Best way to deal with a mage is honestly what sister said. Keep them from talking, or still their hands. Grab them, throw tanglefoot bags at them, get up in their face and corner them. The more they waste on you, the less they waste on your friends so they can deal with it."

The offer gets a brow to quirk. Despite what may seem a downright denial, she ends up considering it for a beat. "What would you want in return?" she inquires. <Handspeech/Tongues>

Aya's smirk turns sour at Thoth's initial suggestion and she nods with Aryia. "At times, delaying is not an option." His latter, and Aryia's follow-up inquiry cause her to hold whatever might have followed. All in favor of a lifted brow between them and quiet for their discourse.

"Understood. Registration complete." Thoth answers, who knows for what purpose, in regards to Aryia's mental thoughts on the matter of taking things into her own hands.

"Tanglefoot bags." It takes note of. "This one can also Silence mages. One calculates that is similar." Mentally it keeps registering these tactics. Taking note of both of their warnings against delaying.

When that quirk of the brow comes, it readily answers; "This one believes it can learn much from you. Simply permit this one to learn from you." It answers Aryia. "This one has learned that Experience is limitless in its value at keeping one from full structural failure."

Aryia quirks a brow in tandem with her sister, practically mirroring the expression. The explanation comes. Her hands remain akimbo on her hips, physical silence as she merely stares at the wing-tattered golem. It's an uncomfortable amount of quiet, of staring.

The Crucible shifts a bit where they're seated. Uneased. Knowing what that stare is for.

Hands rise. "If you want to learn, you are going to get physical," she ordains. "I don't care how you're built structurally. I don't care if you can't lift a weapon. If you want to learn from me, you're going to learn how far every servo can bend. How much stress your metal can take. And beneath all of that- flesh or steel, doesn't matter- you will learn exactly how much resolve your soul has. Accept this- and I will teach you."

She extends a calloused hand, glimmery eyes peering over silver rimmed shades down at the metal bird. <Handspeech/Tongues>

Aya's brow lowers, her focus now fully upon the metal avian. She doesn't add any words to her sister's at this moment; Aryia left nothing lacking or in need of bolstering.

"This one can fix itself if it ends up broken. And it does not experience pain the way a Softskin would." Clearly it has been hanging around some Sith-makar for that term. "This one is willing to learn and experience this under the guidance of someone who... does not wish to do this one Harm." It remarks, with a click of its beak.

"This one accepts your proposal. Thank you for having this one in your care." The small little wizard War Golem notes, before reaching out to shake her hand. It's not as small as your average Goblin, but its hand no doubt gets dwarfed by Aryia's hand.

"You will experience pain," Aryia's gaze half lids. "But it is not my goal to harm. I don't ever want to harm anything that doesn't deserve it."

Her hand grasps theirs. Gives a single shake before pulling it up and turning it into a clasp with both hands. How could something be so rough and stiff? Like flesh-made manacles?

Effectively silenced, she gives a firm stare, and a nod so crisp her shades bounce. Before graciously releasing the little golem. And that's that.

Aryia steps back, clapping her hands at the team to rouse them out of their staring of the exchange. "Alright, get the fuck up, go to the lockers and lick your wounds. Take tomorrow off to cool off. Meet back aftermorrow."

The Crucible groans in pain as they get to their feet, Tresh'kin and Luid leaning against each other to stay upright as they amble back to the exit.

She turns back to Thoth. "Come aftermorrow. We'll see what you got." To Aya. "You here for a show, or you here to sweat? I haven't had a proper ass to try and kick recently." <Handspeech/Tongues>

"Understood. This one will attempt to experience pain so you can be satisfied." Thoth answers Aryia, while staring at her with those neutral War Golem eyes. It takes note of her hand, but it doesn't comment on it at all.

Instead, once their handshake ends, it lays its hands at its mid, and bows to her. "This one will meet you aftermorrow." And with that, it steps away.

Aryia gives a flick of the hand from the hip, sufficing it as a wave goodbye as the golem steps away. She watches them go before rubbing her face, sighing, shoulders sagging briefly as she kicks at a pile of snow. "Alright, enough keeping calm, I got to beat the shit out of something, sister. Want to spar?" <Handspeech/Tongues>

Across the Colosseum, a spectator leaning against the spectator exit gets off their feet, and ambles away. Wood charms to Kor softly clanking against one another.

-End Scene-