Almost Home (Lilica's Training)

Learning:

Day One of… so many.

Lilica didn’t even know how much work this would take, but she needed the extra support and what was the saying? Two heads are better than one? In her mind she was never using up the chakra that ran through her system, regardless of just how little she had compared to her team mates, but she found the perfect ninjutsu that could help her get exactly what she wanted. She was a Faunus of the Volt Tribe after all, and as much as she hated to go along with the stereotype of lupine and their… promiscuity… the idea of multiplying herself and still be able to perform her techniques without issue was just too much to pass up. With the scroll detailing the technique in her hand she was finding her favourite little spot to do her training in private, aided along by Udon providing her some transport in exchange for a few little extra snacks. She might have been warned not to spoil the Uroktor too much, but at the same time she felt she was training him in turn to support her weight and move quickly still.

“Hey Udon, you can stop now, we’re here,” She would pat her partner’s head before she slid herself off from him and began to walk side by side with him. Seeing Udon partially burying himself into the ground as she did and yet keep moving at the same pace was giving her some more ideas for what to do to train him. She shook her head, she needed to focus on getting her techniques down.

In the bustled area of forest she felt more comfortable in, one of the first places she wanted Udon to adjust to too as it was her home ‘region’, whilst likewise she intended to find somewhere he was comfortable too when it came to his personal training. With the scroll she opened it up, stabbing a kunai through the scroll to keep it pinned there  and in view of her as she stepped back, giving Udon a little pet as she went past and let it curl up to nap.

“… Alright… channel chakra through the body… feel the partition… fix your hands like… this… and… Shadow Clo-!” She was cut off part way through as besides the ‘poof’ of excreting so much chakra to create a copy of herself worked, both Lilica’s stumbled to their knees. “H-Holy crap,”

“That’s a lot,”

“That kinda hurt,”

“Really hurt,” Both Lilica’s clutched their chests and looked to eachother before giving rather uncharacteristic grins.

“Awesome!” They both then shouted at each other in sync, letting their childish natures show as they high fived each other. Perhaps a little too hard however as the clone would then vanish as it was forcibly dispersed by the collision of the Faunus’ combined colliding strength. Once more Lilica stumbled to her knees,

“Oh… what the hell! Who… dammit why did it not warn me about that,” She was already panting for breath. The entire ordeal of feeling a rather large portion of chakra, compared to her reserves anyway, leaving her body in order to create and then give chakra to that clone, then to have part of that chakra, and slightly different memories suddenly rush back in to her. It was almost too much for her to handle. “Geez that… that was really… really tiring. How do people do that,” She would stand back up and have to flash a smile to Udon who was looking at her with some worry, “I’m fine my little noodle. Just a little more tired than I thought,”

After a brief dig through her bag for an energy bar she would perform the technique again. Prepared this time she would brace herself for a hard internal hit, and whilst her legs wobbled after the clone was made, neither would fall. Looking to each other again, Lilica and Lilica would meet hands in a shake, only to test how the Clone technique worked and the difference between it and the one ninja use. For one, they could actually touch each other. With what little reserves she had left, Lilica, the main Lilica, would perform the technique one last time to create a second Clone. This was close to her limit however, leaving her hunched over panting. The clone Lilica would come to her side, rubbing her back as they obviously knew she just needed a second.

“Alright ladies, this is important. I… I mean we… can hardly keep this up. Three clones are my absolute limit and then I’m pretty low on chakra.”

“It is exceptionally draining,” Clone two added in.

“Perhaps we should just… forget using this technique?” Clone one questioned.

“No! No no we have to just… I dunno, use it sparingly?”

“That’s not a option,” the original Lilica wandered over to the scroll pinned to the tree to give it a little more study. She’d copied it down from a scroll she’d found in the academy library word for word, not wanting to take it out herself. “… Maybe…”

“You thinking of something?”

“Actually, that’s why I wanted to create another Clone after the guaranteed success. If anything I am fairly smart. There’s somethings that the scroll failed to mention.”

“There is?”

“It mentions the idea of multiple dispersals causing damage to the users body. Which from the rush of unused chakra when the first attempt backfired on me, I can understand why that might be. Suddenly regaining chakra is a real hit. But we shared experiences. So when you both disperse, I’ll remember seeing myself telling you this from two different perspectives. I intend to use that,”

“Three minds thinking of a way to better use the clone technique to our advantage?”

“Yeah, just like something I’d think of,”

“Of course it is. We’re all the same person,”

“… My clones are talking to themselves and it is weird,” The main Lilica would mutter to herself going back to reading the scroll. “… hrm… this technique uses chakra as a whole, elementless really. Perhaps… Perhaps if we try to mix some of our lightning element in to the technique we might be able to create a version.”

“Mix lightning in to the shadow clone technique? Is that… is that actually possible?”

“Well we did have a teacher in the academy who could do pretty solid water clones, maybe they were water elemented shadow clones?”

“… I am so brilliant,” Head Lilica would say and turn back towards her clones, and a very, very confused looking Udon who had just woken up to find three Lilica. “Alright, here’s what we’ll do. Lilica number 2,” She pointed to the first of the two present clones she made, “I’d like you to head back to the library and look up any other scrolls on the subject. Don’t check them out those obviously, just find what we need to know, and disperse when you’re done.”

“Yes Ma’am,” The clone answered and raced off back to the village.

“Lilica number 3, I’d like you to go and pick up the groceries,” She would tell the other clone with a slight smirk, getting a sigh from the clone.

“Why can’t you do it?”

“Because I forgot Udon’s snacks back home and if he gets a little rough again I don’t want you to disperse  and spook him,”

“… Yeah, I suppose that makes sense,” The clone with rub the back of her head and turn to race off to the village herself. Leaving just the original Lilica behind to gently wake Udon once more who seemed just as confused.

Day Two, I’m tired

Lilica returned to the same spot the following day, once more accompanied by Udon only this time haven’t walked herself to give her Uroktor partner a little break from carrying her. And besides, Lilica had her own training to do. She found perfectly the same spot just because she had mistakenly left the scroll pinned to the tree, tearing it down and stuffing the scroll back in to her bag and being thankful nobody had come across it. She doubted the technique was such a huge secret, but she didn’t want to get in trouble for letting a secret jutsu fall in to the wrong hands. With her chakra replenished from the day before at least she was ready to begin what she needed to do. “Alright Udon, I need you to stay back  alittle today just in case,” The creature gave a small whine as it misunderstood what she had meant, “Oh no, no, I just mean I don’t want to hurt you if something goes wrong. Don’t forget I have lightning abilities, I don’t wanna hurt my little noodle,” the soothing tone seemed to have an effect as Udon just nuzzled her furry cheek again and waddled back to find a comfort spot where he began to dig down into the ground a little to make himself a perch to sleep.

With Udon out of the way Lilica moved just out of range of anything accidental. “… ok this is probably going to bite me in the ass…” she muttered and summoned a basic shadow clone this time as the two met gaze and nodded.

“We packed enough energy bars right? Because this could wipe us out really quick,”

“Yeah, I practically dropped all the money from the last two missions on getting them.”

“We should drop by the mission office later then and see what we can pick up for ourselves, earn a little cash back.”

“Yeah but we’ll have this technique down by then,”

“So optimistic,”

“Well one of us has to be,” It was odd, Lilica found communicating with herself and joking with her clone so much easier than she did even with her own team or the peculiar Mizutsune Faunus she’d met the other week.

“Let’s do this!” they called out together and formed the seal that would normally summon a clone. Nothing happened for either Lilica as they worked in channeling lightning in to the technique. After a minute and nothing happened they stopped, shook off their limbs, and went at it again.

For a hour they continued trying to no success. The main Lilica however began to get impatient, forcing her Volt Tribe style to take over instead of the molding of the chakra. The result was an exceptionally powerful outburst as her Discharge went off, releasing a wave of electricity that overtook the entire area. Besides narrowly avoiding hitting the snoring Uron, Lilica’s clone was caught in the blast and dispersed. “Shit!” Lilica shouted as she collapsed down to all fours panting heavily, sweat dripping from her furry cheeks. She had let loose so much of her electricity that she felt completely unable to mold it at all. Out of frustration she beat her hand in to the ground, her Faunus strength causing a dent where she hit.

White noise rang through her ears as her frustration and anger rapidly built up like a balloon rapidly over inflating with hot air. She would get just what she needed however as she felt the smooth hide slide against her neck and shoulder, snapping her out and instantly calming her. Then all she felt was exhaustion. “… thank you Udon,” She whispered as she put her arms weakly around him again. “… all that talk about molding chakra and I Discharge my energy like a idiot.” She grunted as she stood back up, “C’mon, I locked myself out of my lightning. Let’s go grab some lunch,”

Day three… and four… up to six

Day after day Lilica had gone to the same spot, summoned a single clone, and they worked together. Each day ended exactly the same, with one of the Lilica’s accidentally Discharging. At least when it was a clone doing it, Lilica was able to summon a new clone and continue.

The sixth day was when an epiphany hit her. As the clone dispersed, Lilica was struck by the clone’s final thought.

“What if… Reverse the discharge!”

That idea alone gave Lilica the idea she was missing. Instantly she regretting not paying more attention in the ninjutsu classes as she was approaching this all wrong. She was trying to do what ninja did, using their chakra control and mixing it with that chakra nature. But as a Faunus it could work slightly differently, and with Lilica being a Volt Tribe fighter of Lightning, she had more than enough control as her body was embodied by the very element she wanted. When she Discharged she let loose all of that lightning energy, so how about…

“Lightning Shadow Clone!” She didn’t know why she shouted it, but she hoped by doing so she could focus her desires. And it worked!

Sort of.

Lilica created a clone, however she instantly burst in a weakened Discharge, and Lilica had an odd sensation. No chakra returned to her, which as far as she was aware was on the right track. With another to spare for one last attempt, or so she thought, she would attempt it again.

“Lightning Shadow Clone!”

The clone appeared, looked at its hands, and exploded.

“Lightning Shadow Clone!”

Another clone. Her hands were fine, curiousity took her to reach up to her ears. The single touch, even from herself, and she burst. So close.

Day seven, I slept here

Lilica awoke to Udon’s head on her chest. After the last attempt the day before she had completely passed out. Her body hurt all over as she expended so much of her limited chakra. Carefully moving Udon off of her, a difficult process when her partner was awake and kept nudging her, she grabbed some energy bars from her body to resustain her a little. And she left for home.

Day fifteen. Finally.

Day after day Lilica trained, now summoning two clones each time she practised as she was getting better at the control, and with the use of her Lightning element she found it overwhelmed her chakra to the point she was using much less each time she summoned a lightning clone.

“I did it!” Lilica turned to one of her clones, now stood besides a brand new clone, both looking rather smug.

“That’s awesome!” the other original clone cried out and dispersed herself, as did the other shadow clone leaving Lilica with the new lightning based clone.

“That was… a little out of character for us wasn’t it?”

“Can you blame us though, this is great,” Lilica couldn’t contain her excitement that she’d finally done it, diving upon her clone in a hug. Who exploded in lightning.

Hm ok. Proved

Learning:

Lilica was counting down each and every day until the moment that the chunin exams were forever feeling on the furthest horizon. And yet at the same time she felt as if she was forever in the exams shadow. Knowing she had so much time, so much room to work on herself, her skills, and her team work with both her Uroktor, officially named Udon whilst unofficially named her Little Noodle, and her new friends Aloise Kukinorite and Kozai Kurogane. And despite this knowledge there was the deep anxiety building that she just wasn’t ready. Her Beast Arts were strong, told she could be a incredible close range fighter in a few years, but she needed to focus less upon them. She was relying too much on her lightning. Recent sparring and lessons with their sensei had made it more and more obvious she needed to work elsewhere.

Strolling around her room was more evidence of this than she even thought was really possible. She had scoured the libraries, the academy, and gone to speak to so many advanced ninja to get advice on what to do. After a little spar she learned that the ASN itself taught a rather unique form of taijutsu combat known as the Strong Fist. No matter how fast she moved, how hard she hit, how attuned her senses were, she could not land a single hit against the man. He dodged her, took her momentum and, in some ways very literally, threw it back in her face. But she was given a goal to work towards now. She could focus upon her clones later. From what she learned, if she could learn the Strong Fist, then her clones would avoid being hit even, and then could strike back, removing one of their biggest weaknesses that was being hit and ‘poofing’.

The entire premise behind the Strong Fist seemed to be fluid movements inspired by nature. And more specifically in the lower difficulties seemed to revolve around the imitation of leaves in the wind. Which when she thought about the movements she began to understand. She had read up on all she could, and as night was filling her room in pure moonlight she would sit herself down on to her bed. It was a peculiar bit of comfort since moving in to the village, but she certainly did enjoy having such a cushy bed. If anything at least it meant that Udon could join her. Just as she thought about him, she turned and smiled to see the dozey looking lizard waddling in from, what she believed, doing his business outside. She would scoot over on her bed over to him and holding her arm out as she invited him up on to her bed with her. Of course before he did she would look him over to make sure he wasn’t going to track too much dirt on. She didn’t mind much, but Mizu seemed to have issue with how dirty had bed had gotten at one point from Udon jumping on it. Truly, it was an odd sight to see the Uroktor bouncing around on the cushy bed for the first time. Lilica just didn’t want to stop him enjoying himself and even joined. But it left too much of a mess really.

With Udon showing he was clean, Lilica would nod and help in pulling Udon up on to the bed with her. They had been training together all day so Udon was rather tired, showing it as his head just fell in to her lap, enjoying the feel of the fur that was on her bare legs, and drifted to sleep. The Faunus would just sit there stroking her partner from the middle of the head, all the way down the neck. It was her own version of a method of affection that he seemed to use so often that she would assume it was something the Uroktor had ingrained in their natures to do with family, and so would return that same form of affection in her own way. Plus he seemed to like the feel of her fur, and where was she to deny him of that. After a while she gently nudged him as he half heartedly lifted his head, knowing she wanted to lie down now. Once she did he nestled himself back up against her, and she to him.

The days studying and work with Udon quickly pulled Lilica in to a deep sleep. As a growing case recently, her deep slumber soon turned, with Udon having to clumsily climb off of the bed just to avoid Lilica’s incessant tossing and turning. Her own ever building worries for how the ever looming exams would work out was only really taking root in her subconscious. During the day she could fight off her worries. Sometimes even literally with how she worked herself through her training. When it came to her dreams however, that was where things got difficult to handle.

Inside her dream Lilica would walk an empty field. It felt like home, it felt like her family home. If she could focus enough on what was hidden in the fog ridden distance, she might have been capable of making out detail that could actually give her some comfort. But her own distress, it made it so much more difficult. Her fight or flight instinct was running on red alert, drilling her body with signals that told her she had to run. This instinct, it was one she had never felt before. It wasn’t fear, it wasn’t anxiety, it wasn’t even the constant flood of adrenaline she felt when she was awake. It was weakness. She had to run because if she didn’t she would be overwhelmed by grief. Her legs were on fire, like a million needles had buried themselves in deep to her muscles. She had to keep moving. She couldn’t stop even a second, she couldn’t look anywhere but forwards or she would be consumed by the sheer emotions inflicting this status upon her. Just run. And run more. Running until the lightning in her heart could no longer pump her veins. Running until the thunder could no longer beat out the padding of her feet on the freshly uprooted dirt.

Finally something snapped in Lilica. She had enough to make one final stand, to make one final strike. As her foot hit the ground for the final time she swung with her all her speed, the momentum carrying her around, lightning coursing through her system and empowering her punch. She would fight back, she would defeat this fear and take back control.

And slam.

Lilica’s eyes practically popped out of her head as she was stopped in her tracks. Everything around her went dark. All but a metre radius was thrown into shadow. But most importantly was the figure in front of her. Lilica’s body went limp, lifted from the ground, her neck supporting all of her weight, held in the iron grip of the one causing all this storm of emotions. Standing before her on her right, she saw the face of Mizu, standing tall with her arms folded under her chest. But she wasn’t Mizu. Mizu always approached her with the brightest of smiles, nothing but an aura of love for all. This wasn’t Mizu, this was a fake with a scowl permanently marked upon her visage. Stood in front of her the more familiar face of Aloise. He was not himself either. The way he stood told her enough. There was animosity, so much hatred in his eyes. On the other side were two more. Sensei Ben, and in front of him Kozai. Both shared the same hated look. But not one said a word. They just stared down Lilica as she was suspended in the air like a puppet with broken strings. All that hate was turned towards Lilica, and yet she felt just as much fear from them to the one holding her. The vice like grip felt like it got tighter. More and more, until she felt like ice crumbling. Like her head was crushed. And yet she just dropped to her knees without any more pain. Out of breath she looked up to finally see who held her. Looking down, she saw her true self. Looking down, cracking her knuckles one by one as each sent over arcs of lightning across the hands, was a bright yellow eyed Lilica.

“Little… Little… Lilica. Just look at you. Lilica Argent. Baddest little girl in the whole neighbourhood,” Fake Lilica sneered down. She was the winner here. She chased Lilica for what seemed to be hours, and as soon as Lilica stopped her worries came true. She was caught by someone clearly better. And… it was herself? No, it was a better, stronger Lilica. Fake. But still superior. And surrounded by the people she trusted most. Or… copies. Copies like the Lilica. The closer she looked, they all shared the same feature; their eyes. They were all bright and yellow. “Too easy. Right ladies?” Nobody but the fake Lilica spoke though, their gazes frozen forwards on the injured Lilica. “Yeah. Too easy.”

“I don’t-“ She was cut off. Fake Lilica had no gotten any weaker from the chase. One fluid movement and Lilica was delivered a rough kick across the face sending her down to the floor again. The thin beam of light around them got thinner. And Kozai, fake Kozai, was gone.

“You know exactly. Just look at how worthless you really are. You wanna know how I beat you?” Real Lilica looked up, wanting to know. With a click of her fingers, a leather strap appeared around Fake Lilica’s wrist. Looking down Lilica gasped at what she saw. At her feet slumped Udon. Her partner Uroktor, only he wasn’t how he remembered. Udon was beaten and broken. A leg missing, an eye swollen over, and a gash running down its neck. His back was dented in, his spine twisted. “This little shit. I just ride him everywhere. Why walk when I have my own little living surfboard right?” Lilica felt a tear run down her face, stuck looking down at the Udon, realising he too had the bright yellow eyes.

And something snapped. Slamming her fist in to the ground, sending little sparks. She was exhausted and her whole body hurt. She wanted to just roll over and pass out. But seeing the Udon, it filled her with absolute rage. She looked up, and Ben was gone. “No, that’s-“ Another kick again, and once more Lilica punched the ground. “It’s not-“ Another kick, and she was sure she felt her cheek break under that one. “No!” she screamed, looking up just as another kick came. She was just in time, hand moving up and grabbing the back of Fake Lilica’s foot and shoving forwards. The two were then alone in the narrow field of light amidst the darkness. Fake Lilica was tossed aside on to her rear. “Not Udon!” She screamed again with all her fury. Besides her came the angry cries she knew as being her little noodle. Udon was by her side.

But then she was in her bed, drenched in sweat that caused her thin fur to stick together, and likewise to the sheets. She rolled over to see Udon whimpering with his head on the edge of the bed. She wasn’t relieved so much, she didn’t feel calm. Her heart was still racing unbelievably. But Udon was there. She knew that was nothing but a dream. She loved her little Udon without restraint. “… You’ll never be a thing for me. Never. My little noodle,”


Req. 1900
Post Count: 1941

Approved

learning:

Lilica felt oddly lost without Udon around for a change, having left him behind after getting in to some out of date leftovers. Even so, she had no plans to practise her own work, and didn’t want to be endangering Udon. Especially after Ben had taught her the basis of some extremely powerful technique, even if she was told it would kill her in her current state of training, it was just nice to know that if it came down to it, that she could actually make one last stand. Of course that was never her intention, she was certainly a ‘fight with her fists until the end’ type of girl. Getting to her usual training spot, now completely battered in and in desperate need of repair or just abandoning, she formed the seals she needed and summoned her newly perfected Lightning Clones. To feel so much little strain or struggle in summoning them just felt so amazing. Looking between her clones, and her clones between each other, they nodded as they already had their instructions. Lilica remained still, watching as one by one the clones would dash back to different areas of the training field and taking up positions. In one high up tree, the first clone was motioned to go first. The first clone nodded, and buckled under channeling the lightning within. To see it from the outside was a whole new experience. The clone let loose a stream of lightning, much like her original Discharge ability. Only this time different. There was no stamina taken to use the technique, it was a copy made of chakra after all, and whilst the chakra was used up by the clone in the explosion, it only made the Discharge that much more volatile.

With the first clone discharged, quite literally as it vanished like a clone normally would, Lilica turned to the direction of the second for the second test. She had her first clone mark the tree where only the second clone could see, and would make a mark then herself for the third. Her goal had been to pass information, along with display if Lilica could control the clones to Discharge like that at a distance, and when the clone was not in her line of sight. But the third clone would be the one to discharge instead, right on queue. Lilica herself stumbled back at the rush of information. She was given information of the etching the second clone made, and the memory of what the third clone saw from the etching. Finally, the unseen clone would discharge, and seeing the exact markings, all perfectly in sync rushed to her. A smirk crossed her face, cracking her hands as she had the information of what she could do with her clones.


Wordcount: 463 / 400

Approved

Learned:

It all seemed so simple when she really put her mind to it. She focused so much on the aspects of lightning, being fast, hitting hard, and most of all, being flashy. But after watching some higher level sparring so recently, Lilica was learning that she could get just as much out of the aspects of thunder. Namely, being loud. The sounds of people of enormous strength colliding usually left the sounds of impact. Whilst it might not be perfected, the technique felt made for the Volt Fist style she was creating for herself. And as she used her powerful legs to leap up in to the air, she flexed the muscles, bringing together the electricity she could naturally produce, and kicked down. Her body shot out of the sky, propelled by the force of only a rabbit faunus’ kick. And whilst the air shook around here, there was little more effect. And so she tried again. And again. Before dividing up the strain across multiple shadow clones. How she could summon more now just because they were made from lightning chakra was beyond her, but she didn’t fully need to understand to do. And within an hour, she accidentally cleared out two of the clones as they were struck by the shock wave, whilst the other clutched at her sensitive ears as the boom shook her.

WC: 227 / 200

Learning:

The exams were so close Lilica could taste them. And the young Faunus was wasting so very little time in preparing. She was taking the advice to take things slow, spend some time, bond with her little noodle Udon. For the most part she was beginning to waver in her training with him, however she had plenty still to master. She had been pointed to some teaching scrolls from someone who had passed on, a way to better enhance her current physical abilities and taking them that one step closer towards the better. She was used to her clones, well adjusted to how they felt as they were created, when she shared her chakra with them to give them a more physical form compared to the Academy Student taught variety. Only now she had the leg up. She was not a ninja, not even what they consider a samurai or ronin, as a Faunus she was not built towards the manipulation of chakra. Yet her affinity for Lightning was certainly doing wonders as she formed the clones better with lightning than un-alligned. She was almost perfecting the style. The precise control and communication shared with her clones without uttering a word, only by forming the plans before the lightning shadow clone’s creation, along with the deep trust in both her clones, her ability, and most importantly herself.

Lilica had to get everything finished though, she was so close to the completion of these last techniques that were helping in refining her chakra and body control. Whilst she needed to properly learn and master the technique she was growing to know as being the Clone Fist style, it was her own unique Volt Fist that needed the completion first. If she learned Volt Fist soon, ready for the exams, she could show both her teacher Ben, and her team mate, singular as Aloise was the only one who remained. Just what happened to the other, Lilica had pushed it from her mind. All she had to do was worry about herself, and her team mates. When what’s her name left, she took Lilica’s care with her. She was now back to just another face among the crowd that was Hakagakure. And that worked for Lilica, no point in filling her head with useless knowledge.

Mizu however just kept on popping right up in there. There still wasn’t many Faunus around the area, and to find one so… aloof. She had only bumped in to her a few times, but each and every time the tall, plump Water Tribe girl became exceptionally hands on. It was not something Lilica was used to. Yet there was only the one who she’d allow to do that. OK, maybe four. And this strange Faunus just wormed her way in to one of those.

Shaking her Lilica had to focus better. Not letting that bug eyed beauty distract her. They would be fighting in the exams most likely. And whilst she knew that she had the advantage, Lightning trumps Water easily of course, she had seen just enough to know exactly what to be up against. Even if she never saw her fight, like Lilica, she was a unique and powerful close range fighter. With a lot of weight to throw about. This wasn’t working.

Going back to her satchel the young rabbit faunus took out one of her food pills, taking a bite out of the peculiar and soft little ball and chewing, giving herself some time to think. Something she honestly wasn’t the best on. For all her abilities, enhancing her strength, her speed, her reflexes, she knew her short coming in strategy and mindedness. Her battle tactic was to overwhelm, and against some foes that could be good. But then there was always the ones who could overwhelm her in return. Upon realising this, she learned to master the shadow clone technique. Simple, and a method of overwhelming faster. Instead of speeding in, striking once and retreating with her natural physical abilities, she could send multiples of her in tandem. Perhaps… She thought back to her new friend, most likely still resting at home after a training session the night before. She was faster and strong and physically capable to taking hits, it was what a Faunus did best. And her partner, Udon, was slow, bulky, and brought with him elements she could pair with her own. It was no wonder that Ben paired them together.

“Right, strategy.” She muttered to herself as she finished the last of her food pill. She did have something in mind. She recalled back to a herding technique her great uncle had used when she was younger. Herding some cattle he had some very limited ninjutsu skills, not enough to even make it as a career, but enough that in some way he could manipulate certain things. Flexing and rolling her fingers she manipulated her chakra along her fur. And threw her arm forwards. Like a rubber band the electricity just snapped right back to her. She whined, shaking her hand, and trying again. She focused on shaping the chakra in to the right shape, a rope. It should’ve been easy. But trying again got her the same result. As a low level lightning technique, she found her chakra reserves holding up exceptionally well over the hours she practised. But still she got nowhere.

Taking another drink of water she let her mind wander back to her teachings, finding some way she could make it work. She was running out of time, days continued to pass before she felt she was ready. But no she was focused on the electricity based lasso. The Lightning Lash. She let out an anguished shout as she realised where she was going right. Dropping her hands she formed the hand seals she needed, and in a burst of lightning she formed five of her Lightning Shadow Clones, nodding to each other as they paired off in to twos. Dropping in to position they all nodded, and went at it again. There was now six Lilica practising, surely one would get it right sooner or later.

WC: 1018 / 1000

approved

Learning: Assault - Combat Specialist Specialisation

It had been a real long time coming, but Lilica was finally coming home for a real visit. Or her first home at least, back with her family. The area was never easy to find, the Argent family liked to move with the seasons around one large area, usually in order to find a better place to accommodate a growing family. As much as she might joke about it, her family didn’t half know how to expand. Udon nuzzled at her furry ankle as she touched and examined the ground of where the lapine faunus’ had once called home back when she was part of the ground. She began to wonder even if in the year since she had left to join the ASN’s academy if there were some others who had demonstrated the techniques that she too had shown. Last she heard her brother had dropped out of the academy too, with her sister dropping out the same time as she passed the exam. And most importantly, she was now child nine of ten. A smile crossed her face and her head shook at the thought of just that, of her ever still growing family.

Udon turned his head up, sniffing at the air. It wasn’t difficult for Lilica to tell exactly why. Everything she saw pointed them towards the idea that her family had moved on relatively recently. A sense of dread overtook her as she recognised the signs. The area was repeatedly frequented, and from the looks of things her eldest brother and sister had been here very recently. She could only tell this due to her brother’s slight birth defect in missing a two, and her eldest sister walked with a limp. Their tracks were so easy to discern for a pro like Lilica. She could never be a proper tracker, but she could track her family easily. The frequent tracks however were absolutely not normal. And immediately all the hairs on her body stood on end.

She turned upwards as Udon began to grumble as someone approached, not a unusual response for Lilica whenever she came home. He didn’t sense danger, but didn’t know the person. Lilica spun, getting tense and in to position, fur lighting up with sparks of coursing lightning. She immediately dropped her posture when she saw the very familiar fluffy white pixie cut between slicked back ears. And suddenly Lilica’s oldest sister threw herself at her.

“Oh my god Lili-pants!” Even Udon had a little laugh at that. It was clear to anyone that this was Lilica’s sister; Amica. Besides the pixie cut compared to Lilica’s long hair in a ponytail, she very clearly was an older version of her. Although perhaps a little less toned that would show she was not a combatant like her little sister. And it was not a name that Lilica liked. “Raita! I got Lili-pants!”

With a little more rustling another rabbit faunus head poked out from the nearby bushes, looking much more desheveled in appearance. It made sense, Raita was the only one besides her to graduate the academy only he dropped out then with the basic training so that he could provide the protection to the family. “Hey, if it isn’t Lolica,” Another nickname that brought a groan from Lilica, lifted off of her feet by her sister’s tight grip and surprising strength. She never had training in any way, and yet she could lift Lilica with ease. Somehow she got serious déjà vu over the way Amica hugged and held her. It took her a moment before the thought passed towards her friend back home, and totally not huge crush who hugged her just like that, Mizu. Just remembering her brought a red flush to her face. But thankfully neither Argent sibling seemed to notice this.

“Ugh, can you not just call me by my actual name? Just one?”

“Nope, sorry Lolica,”
“Never Lili-pants,”

She felt it was worth a try. But she was let go. As they had been speaking, Udon had waddled his way on over and was nudging at Amica’s ankle. She looked down at the Uroktor, and let out a sharp scream that startled the other two, and Udon. Immediately Raita shoved his sisters aside to get in front of them and Udon, between them. Right away would Lilica grab her brother’s arm and yanked back, partially displaying that she wasn’t as helpless as the last time they had all been together. “Lili, get back already before it-“ He trailed off as Lilica picked up her partner as it nuzzled in to her furry cheek. And for the first time the siblings were shown a side of Lilica rarely seen. She giggled. Both were left utterly dumbstruck.

“Sorry buddy.” She said and gave him a nuzzle and a rub down his neck right back. “Amica, Raita, this is my partner, Udon.” And that alone was enough that both immediately dropped their guards and began laughing.

“O-Oh Lili.”

“Of course you would name your pet Noodle,” Once again Lilica was sighing. She didn’t expect her oldest siblings to understand her, they never really had in most ways. Raita had encouraged her combat training, even taught her the lightning manipulation that she would grow to adapt and evolve, but on a personal level she never quite bonded. “C’mon, mom and pops and the rest of our ever growing brood are held up just a mile or so north. We came back to scrounge up any missing gear.”

“Wait, scrounge up? That can’t be right can it?” Lilica interrupted because it was completely wrong. Her family never had to ‘scrounge’. They were careful, once they were done they packed up and found somewhere else. Nothing and nobody gets left behind.

“Oh, that’s right. You’ve not been around,” Raita sounded upset, and immediately Lilica’s stomach twisted. Something was seriously wrong. Looking to Amica confirmed that to her. The bubbly girl was suddenly sullen. She never did that. “It’s… it’s nothing. Pops and I are on the case.” He took a step, and Lilica roughly grabbed his shoulder.

“Raiji. I’m stronger now.” As she spoke, she gave him her most determined look, lightning coursing over her fur. Raita looked down at her and smirked, feeling pride.

“My little Lolica. You’ve really grown up. Fine. I’ll tell you,”

WC: 1040 / 1000

Groovy Approovied