Um... maybe I'm just misunderstanding you but training skills via combat is done through fighting and winning against someone that has a higher rank in that skill then you do. It doesn't come up all that often in the Headway quests because usually headway outranks skills that aren't already trained but it does happen.
Headway works by putting adequate work into an action for some time. Depending on the action it can be short or long the training time.
Direct fighting can improve some combat skills directly, like Combat Reflexes or Tactics or Anti-Crowd Tactics, but other combat skills like Bladed Weapons and Shield Use takes more than a single combat to gain xp in order to level up.
Headway works by putting adequate work into an action for some time. Depending on the action it can be short or long the training time.
Direct fighting can improve some combat skills directly, like Combat Reflexes or Tactics or Anti-Crowd Tactics, but other combat skills like Bladed Weapons and Shield Use takes more than a single combat to gain xp in order to level up.
You already can gain powers from defeating enemies, if you go and tick a training time each time you go and fight a grimm I will never get anything done. If you fight long enough and didn't expend the daily training limit you can improve the combat abilities, and only combat abilities. Things like Aura Reinforcement or one of the powers you have require dedicated training for it to trigger.
You already can gain powers from defeating enemies, if you go and tick a training time each time you go and fight a grimm I will never get anything done. If you fight long enough and didn't expend the daily training limit you can improve the combat abilities, and only combat abilities. Things like Aura Reinforcement or one of the powers you have require dedicated training for it to trigger.
Um. No? Not what I was saying. The only way to get skill improvements from fighting something is to have it be an enemy, beat it, and also at the same time have the enemy have a higher skill level then us in that skill. This is a rare combination.
"Mister Arc? It's a surprise to hear from you right now. I was hoping that you would come back to Beacon without issues," Ozpin said bemusedly from the other side of line.
"Yeah, stuff happened on the way. Say, what is the official policy on... pets."
"Pets?"
"It's a long story. My father wants to talk with you later on a secure line about that thing I asked you about before going out. You didn't research it too deeply, did you? Because if you did my life will suddenly became very complicated. Murderously so."
"I asked a person of confidence who knows how to be discreet, and I told him over a secure line. Now, what this have to do with having pets?"
"I'm... bringing one with me. I can't really let her stay here since she will follow me, and trust me when I say that making her stay away is a losing battle. She has her aura awakened and her semblance allows her to sneak by pretty much anywhere. So I wanted to give the heads up before questions started to appear."
"And that had to do with the thing you asked me before going back to your house?"
"Yes."
There was a silence for a moment before you heard him sigh. "I suppose that can be arranged. Is there something else I should know?"
"Yes, if you see a short girl with long, blond, braided hair that ends in a blade please don't throw her out of Beacon."
"... we're going to discuss this further when you return. Anything else?"
"Nothing at the moment. My father said he can contact you with a secure line later, so you should expect his call."
"I will mister Arc. I will await your return to Beacon."
~~O~~
"... and that's what happened." You told your sisters your tale. "I'm inclined to believe her in this instance."
Your seven sisters stared at you before each having their own reaction, some better than others.
"Really now, only the males of the family have a chance to inherit the Headway power? That's sexist! I thought that kind of shit happened only during the preceding years of the Great War!" Said Indigo while pacing back and forth.
You just shrugged. "That's apparently how it works. When I get my aura to a good enough level I will be able to do her soul synchronization process and hopefully will learn more."
"Damn it, this is so unfair," whined Indigo, "why we girls can't have something cool like, I dunno, being able to inherit the powers of one of the maidens of seasons or something."
"Now that's just crazy talk Indigo," Bianca immediately replied. "That would be stupid, and not at all possible. Because it's a legend. A fairy tale. And nothing to do with reality. At all."
The other seven stared at Bianca who had a perfect poker face going on.
"... oookay", you said breaking the silence, "anybody want to bet the Maidens of the Seasons are real?"
Emeralda snorted. "Sucker bet."
"ANYWAY!!!" Said Bianca, "what are you going to do now Jaune?"
"Well, there isn't much for me to do at this rate. Go back to Beacon, train like a manic to be able to be strong enough to deal with the Followers of Zoroatrism, and I dunno, try not to die?"
"You've had the Headway power for less than a month. Grand plans can come later."
"Am I the only one that realized our great grandfather was still alive until recently? How does that work?" You asked your sisters, since so far you're not sure how that works.
"You know how Aura can heal injuries?" Said Bianca, "depending on a user's aura it can also help slow down aging to some degree. It makes older people fight with the same vigor as a younger hunter, and drag the upper limits of average life expectancy quite high. If our great grandfather had a high aura surpassing most hunters, then it's possible for him to have lived longer than normal."
You nodded, that made sense.
"So unfair..." muttered Indigo, and you had to agree with her.
Thankfully, it was unfair in your favor.
~~O~~
Once everything was set, both you and Enkita decided to get back to the border town before going back to Vale. You decided to take another armored car, and with farewells to your family you started the short trip towards the nearest airship.
Only for it to be bombarded from the skies once you were on the middle of the path.
Both you and Enkita weren't hurt due to bringing up your aura quickly, but the same couldn't be said of the driver and some of the passengers. It was the first time you saw people dead with steel and glass shards embedded in their arms and bodies, a large hole in their bodies where the spears of light hit the armored car.
As you tried to keep your lunch inside and tried to get out of the armored car, you saw someone hovering a bit in front of the remains of your ride.
She had a passing resemblance to Enkita, especially in the last form you fought, but where Enkita's form was biological, this new arrival was mechanical.
"Hello Jaune!" Said the girl in front of you with an enthusiastic tone. "There you are! Enkidu looked for you everywhere but couldn't find you! Thank goodness Enkidu found you. We can finally become friends!"
You glared at the girl in front of you, but before you could say anything she continued. "Oh, you're already with that thing. That later production model, that pretender, that slut!" She snarled before giggling. "But don't worry, Enkidu will erase her from your side and then," at this she had a dreamy tone, "then we can be together forever, like it was intended to be. So please Jaune..."
"Engaging Combat Protocols. Extermination Mode Activated. Target, Headway User and Aruru Unit Mark Nine. Perish in the name of Angra Mainyu."
You will be fighting alongside Enkita, write in your plan of combat. There were no other survivors from the attack.
[ ]Write In.
You glared at the girl in front of you, but before you could say anything she continued. "Oh, you're already with that thing. That later production model, that pretender, that slut!" She snarled before giggling. "But don't worry, Enkidu will erase her from your side and then", at this she had a dreamy tone, "then we can be together forever, like it was intended to. So please Jaune..."
[X] Probe the enemy's defense with ranged attacks from Jaune and Enkita
-[X] Jaune should try to get close and be able to attack with his sword
--[X] Enkita as a support fighter, switching between forms depending on the situation.
[X] Plan: Round 1
-[X] Jaune gets up and charges ( aura reinforcement to normal only raising to high if necessary) aiming to get her attention in close combat.
-[X]Enkita uses attack form and flanks ( Aura Reinforcement at full power)
[X] Plan Name: Scrapheap
-[X] Jaune distracts by attacking outright, aiming for vital points
-[X] Enkita uses her tentacles to rip off limbs and destroy weapons
-[X]If limbs prove resistant to tearing, simply attack from behind
[X] Plan: Round 1
-[X] Jaune gets up and charges ( aura reinforcement to normal only raising to high if necessary) aiming to get her attention in close combat.
-[X]Enkita uses attack form and flanks ( Aura Reinforcement at full power)
The original. I actually asked a question way back when on this topic with the original. So not head canon. I'm fine with you changing it up. Just making sure I understand how this game is playing differently.
Jfc, rip like several people already. This is going to weigh heavily on Jaune later, when he is not high on adrenaline.
[x] Plan: Round 1
Yeah honestly the only defense against powerful cannons, failing equally powerful shielding, is to get close enough that shooting would hurt them just as much.
"Alright then, the most important question first. What is the Headway?"
"It is an ancient power that's inherited by the male line of your family. Considered one of the treasures of ancient Babel. I'm sorry, but more accurate information is locked within the Headway power itself, I can only provide the key with the soul synchronization process."
"It's alright Enkita," you reassure her, "we will get to that later. Anyway, do you know where it came from?"
"Ancient Babel, over six thousands years ago."
And here you thought that Babel was just a fairy tale.
"Why where you stuck in the basement?"
"I was to wait safely for the next Headway user, using the protections erected by the 37th Headway user."
"Who are you, or I suppose, what are you?"
At this she hesitated. "I don't know. That data was erased from my memory," she said while looking down, "I'm sorry. I only know that I must aid the Headway user in any way I can."
"Don't worry, you don't need to force yourself. I'm sure once we do this soul sync stuff I will get some answers." you said encouragingly. She simply stayed silent before looking back at you.
"Why have I never heard of Headway before? I mean, it's a power that made me into a master swordsman in a bit over a week; you'd think people would know about it."
"There are many who wish to steal the Headway power for themselves, some that might pose a credible threat to a young Headway user, so recently, Headway users decided to stay hidden in society. Also, there are legends of the Headway users through history, such as the Hound of Ulster, Herakles, Beowulf and of course the first, Gilgamesh of Uruk, King of Babel."
"I... see..." You say, a bit stunned.
All those heroes came from myths and legends across the ages of Remnant, and they're not just any legends either. They're Archetype legends, the greatest tales of their time. Not only that, but apparently they all existed and you're directly related to them.
Truly, yours is a legacy of heroism.
"So, you said there are some who want to steal the Headway ability. Do you know who they are?"
"There were many groups over the years, from petty kings to powerful heroes jealous of the Headway power. But the greatest enemies of the Headway are a group called Followers of Zoroatrism, under the one known as Angra Mainyu. I'm sorry, but I don't have much information about them or their leader; my memory was also erased on that point."
You nodded. No reason to keep asking her stuff if her memory is faulty. You're sure she would tell you if something important comes up .
"Is there something I can do to make you comfortable?"
She tilted her head, blank expression on her face. "I do not understand."
"Well, it's been a while since you appeared outside the basement. You must have body cramps or something, or you might want to stretch your legs a bit, or just eat something sweet? Since you're alive and well and most importantly don't want to kill me, I thought we could be friends."
"Friends..." she spoke softly, before repeating the word. "Friends, friends, friends... friends!" Her eyes started to water once more, and she closed them before nodding. "I'd like to be friends, mister Arc."
"Oh no, mister Arc is my father. Please call me Jaune."
"Alright Jaune." She said with a soft smile you found cute on her.
You both stayed in comfortable silence for some time before you asked your final question.
"Is there something you want to do now?"
She paused for a moment, thinking it over, before nodding. "I want to follow you, to protect you. To be your friend."
This... might pose some problems.
~~O~~
"Father, did you know about Enkita?"
"So that's the young girl's name." He said while helping your mother in the kitchen prepare lunch. "No, I didn't know her exactly. I only knew that a trial would happen once you reached the basement and you'd need to defeat your opponent, who would become your servant afterwards, or so the story said. Considering that Headway explicitly requires you to defeat an enemy, if I said that your opponent isn't inherently hostile to you, or perhaps even helpful, you wouldn't be able to potentially gain its powers once you defeat it."
"I guess," you said a bit hesitantly before continuing, "still, why didn't you tell me about the Headway? Hell, why didn't you let me properly train to be a hunter! When I got Headway and started exercising I realized that I was doing it wrong all my life, and you knew I trained whenever I could!"
You father turned to you. "I hoped that if you didn't have training, if you didn't become a hunter, the Headway would skip you and come to me. Having the Headway is a curse Jaune, not a blessing."
"Can't say how true that is. I have been doing fine with it."
"How many grimm have you killed Jaune?"
"A few, why?"
"Then you can feel negative emotions, right? Did you know that it is impossible to turn it off?"
"... yeah, I try to ignore the feeling most of the time, but sometimes it's distracting."
"Once you kill enough grimm, you can feel the negative emotions of people across continents Jaune. Do you know what kind of hell is that? Many Headway users decide it's better to avoid humanity entirely and simply waste away killing grimm on the badlands, like your great grandfather who recently passed away."
You stayed silent at that proclamation.
"Even still, I won't stop trying to be a hero", you said with conviction, "I will find a way to get past this problem, there must be a way to fix it and even if I'm fated to feel the weight of the world itself I will follow my dream!"
Your father stared at you for a while before sighing. "Grandfather said the same thing to me, and yet now he's dead after so long." Turning back to the kitchen counter he continued chopping the vegetables. "For better or for worse Jaune, you will become the hero you wanted to be."
~~O~~
[ ]Giving the news to your sisters
[ ]Calling Beacon
"Mister Arc? It's a surprise to hear from you right now. I was hoping that you would come back to Beacon without issues," Ozpin said bemusedly from the other side of line.
"Yeah, stuff happened on the way. Say, what is the official policy on... pets."
"Pets?"
"It's a long story. My father wants to talk with you later on a secure line about that thing I asked you about before going out. You didn't research it too deeply, did you? Because if you did my life will suddenly became very complicated. Murderously so."
"I asked a person of confidence who knows how to be discreet, and I told him over a secure line. Now, what this have to do with having pets?"
"I'm... bringing one with me. I can't really let her stay here since she will follow me, and trust me when I say that making her stay away is a losing battle. She has her aura awakened and her semblance allows her to sneak by pretty much anywhere. So I wanted to give the heads up before questions started to appear."
"And that had to do with the thing you asked me before going back to your house?"
"Yes."
There was a silence for a moment before you heard him sigh. "I suppose that can be arranged. Is there something else I should know?"
"Yes, if you see a short girl with long, blond, braided hair that ends in a blade please don't throw her out of Beacon."
"... we're going to discuss this further when you return. Anything else?"
"Nothing at the moment. My father said he can contact you with a secure line later, so you should expect his call."
"I will mister Arc. I will await your return to Beacon."
~~O~~
"... and that's what happened." You told your sisters your tale. "I'm inclined to believe her in this instance."
Your seven sisters stared at you before each having their own reaction, some better than others.
"Really now, only the males of the family have a chance to inherit the Headway power? That's sexist! I thought that kind of shit happened only during the preceding years of the Great War!" Said Indigo while pacing back and forth.
You just shrugged. "That's apparently how it works. When I get my aura to a good enough level I will be able to do her soul synchronization process and hopefully will learn more."
"Damn it, this is so unfair," whined Indigo, "why we girls can't have something cool like, I dunno, being able to inherit the powers of one of the maidens of seasons or something."
"Now that's just crazy talk Indigo," Bianca immediately replied. "That would be stupid, and not at all possible. Because it's a legend. A fairy tale. And nothing to do with reality. At all."
The other seven stared at Bianca who had a perfect poker face going on.
"... oookay", you said breaking the silence, "anybody want to bet the Maidens of the Seasons are real?"
Emeralda snorted. "Sucker bet."
"ANYWAY!!!" Said Bianca, "what are you going to do now Jaune?"
"Well, there isn't much for me to do at this rate. Go back to Beacon, train like a manic to be able to be strong enough to deal with the Followers of Zoroatrism, and I dunno, try not to die?"
"You've had the Headway power for less than a month. Grand plans can come later."
"Am I the only one that realized our great grandfather was still alive until recently? How does that work?" You asked your sisters, since so far you're not sure how that works.
"You know how Aura can heal injuries?" Said Bianca, "depending on a user's aura it can also help slow down aging to some degree. It makes older people fight with the same vigor as a younger hunter, and drag the upper limits of average life expectancy quite high. If our great grandfather had a high aura surpassing most hunters, then it's possible for him to have lived longer than normal."
You nodded, that made sense.
"So unfair..." muttered Indigo, and you had to agree with her.
Thankfully, it was unfair in your favor.
~~O~~
Once everything was set, both you and Enkita decided to get back to the border town before going back to Vale. You decided to take another armored car, and with farewells to your family you started the short trip towards the nearest airship.
Only for it to be bombarded from the skies once you were on the middle of the path.
Both you and Enkita weren't hurt due to bringing up your aura quickly, but the same couldn't be said of the driver and some of the passengers. It was the first time you saw people dead with steel and glass shards embedded in their arms and bodies, a large hole in their bodies where the spears of light hit the armored car.
As you tried to keep your lunch inside and tried to get out of the armored car, you saw someone hovering a bit in front of the remains of your ride.
She had a passing resemblance to Enkita, especially in the last form you fought, but where Enkita's form was biological, this new arrival was mechanical.
"Hello Jaune!" Said the girl in front of you with an enthusiastic tone. "There you are! Enkidu looked for you everywhere but couldn't find you! Thank goodness Enkidu found you. We can finally become friends!"
You glared at the girl in front of you, but before you could say anything she continued. "Oh, you're already with that thing. That later production model, that pretender, that slut!" She snarled before giggling. "But don't worry, Enkidu will erase her from your side and then," at this she had a dreamy tone, "then we can be together forever, like it was intended to be. So please Jaune..."
"Engaging Combat Protocols. Extermination Mode Activated. Target, Headway User and Aruru Unit Mark Nine. Perish in the name of Angra Mainyu."
You will be fighting alongside Enkita, write in your plan of combat. There were no other survivors from the attack.
[ ]Write In.
So were on a road unknown time to hunter support. She can shoot car. And she has penny like floating blades.
.and she also has some sort of command override. The cars not viable cover. It's unknown if she can multi fire.
We don't know her senses. We have low aura.
This sounds like a time to kite and wait for Qrow to save us as we're the amber here. Or to try knocking loose those combat protocols and depend on the yan.
What can aruru turn into? Can she do birds tiny hiding things?
So for those interested in her powerset, look up blazeblue but the comparision to Penny is fitting, seeing as Nu was the inspiration for Penny's fighting style I think.
Also personality-wise if that also got imported here she is a full on Yandere, but is still ready to take a blade to the stomach and die for her target of affection (as far as I am aware considering I still have not caught up to the story of the third gasme).
Also don't be surprised if she suddenly starts pulling out swords the size of bullheads.
[X] Plan: Round 1
-[X] Jaune gets up and charges ( aura reinforcement to normal only raising to high if necessary) aiming to get her attention in close combat.
-[X]Enkita uses attack form and flanks ( Aura Reinforcement at full power) No. of Votes: 4
Plan: ◈Round 1 Cjdavis103 Flashkannon jaiveer00 UbeOne
[X] Plan Name: Scrapheap
-[X] Jaune distracts by attacking outright, aiming for vital points
-[X] Enkita uses her tentacles to rip off limbs and destroy weapons
-[X]If limbs prove resistant to tearing, simply attack from behind No. of Votes: 1
Plan: ◈Name: Scrapheap enigma1995
[X] Probe the enemy's defense with ranged attacks from Jaune and Enkita
-[X] Jaune should try to get close and be able to attack with his sword
--[X] Enkita as a support fighter, switching between forms depending on the situation. No. of Votes: 1 Icefyre
