Proper use of your batons' staff mode

"Ah, yes -- I wasn't quite sure how to word that better, but I certainly think it will be of use to you." Professor Phoebe says, straightening up from where she was bent at the hips to look down at the item you'd pointed out with your finger.

You stuff the paper list back into your pocket, and look up at her with a smile as she continues.

"I noticed that you were using your batons like a staff, joining their hilts -- I presumed that was a result of Equipment Maintenance, so I discussed it with Professor Meddle, and found out that in doing so you're also diverting both batons' power into a single electrical end. I'm very impressed by the ingenuity of that approach."

Professor Phoebe walks a short distance to the nearby wall, taking in one hand a wooden staff that leans against it. It's probably one of the ones Delilah and Jace were sparring with before they got new things to train, since there's a second one right by it.

"Many of what was covered in the staff-based Combat class last week will apply, but the arsenal of abilities are not identical, and you need to stay conscious of the electrified end." Professor Phoebe walks back to in front of you, taking a wide stance, and holding the wooden staff in both hands. "I figured it would be worthwhile to teach you the main differences."

Alright then! You put your batons' hilts together and twist the lock together, tightening your grip on them and taking your own wide stance. You spark the electrical side on, sending blue electricity spitting out of the top end.

"Defend as normal." Professor Phoebe advises, advancing in slow steps and swinging with big, obvious attacks with her staff. "Block and deflect using the centre shaft of your staff."

You do so, taking a few steps backwards and catching each swing on the middle of your staff, hands either side of the point of impact. Okay, that's not so hard....

"Then, when your opponent is open..." Professor Phoebe does another big swing from left to right, pausing when she reaches the right side and holding her pose with her arms and staff extended like that. "Thrust the electrified end towards them. Err, turn it off first, in this instance."

You turn of the blue electricity, and slowly poke forward with the end of your staff into her chest. doosh. Professor Phoebe breaks her pose, and gets into a fighting stance again.

"Now again, faster -- this time, make me open myself up for a thrusting attack by breaking the pattern of blocking with a small jump backwards. Your opponent will be used to connecting at this point, and lulled into your pace, so they won't be ready to swing through air. Begin."

You repeat the drill a few times, each time adapting a bit to Professor Phoebe's advice. Apparently, your initial grip and stance while thrusting the staff was ineffective and relied too much on your wrists, and you can really feel the difference after you change under her advice -- stepping into the thrust is also a big plus!

It's hard to get right at first, and harder yet when she's actually swinging to hit you (not hard or hurt-y, but still aimed at your body instead of at your staff so that you need to block more actively), but after a while of repetition you get the flow of it and start doing it better. When you've got the general hang of it, Professor Phoebe helps you drill a few variations, so that you can pull this out in a bunch of different circumstances, and not just optimal ones.

Block, block, block, jump back, thrust!

Block, block, hit, block, duck and thrust!

Block, block, insta-thrust!

You even practice doing regular staff-swing attacks before the thrust, to disguise it with a feinted swing or leg sweep that gets the opponent blocking a place that the thrust isn't aimed for when you transition into it. Training like this with someone as skilled and knowledgeable as Professor Phoebe really makes you feel like you're going to be a proper Warrior, and is yet another almost unreal reminder that you're actually here right now, training to be one.

That comes into play for the final drill happening right now, where Professor Phoebe's fighting more conservatively. She swings at you once (still not hard, but still aimed at your actual body) with her staff, and then backs up and waits for her next opportunity. When you try to thrust, she evades and you end up sparking against air. By attacking in swings to begin with, it's harder to evade than a single-point thrust, forcing her to rely on blocking. And by making her block against a feinted attack, you're able to finally go in for the kill with a thrust that connects!

Professor Phoebe smiles down at you, lowering her staff frozen in mid-block.

"Excellent work, Debbie." She says. "You've picked it up very nicely. I think we can officially consider that move a part of your combat toolbox."

You feel the same. The proper thrust technique comes easily to you now, and you feel like you could really pull it out in almost any combat situation you find yourself in. Your thrust is forceful, accurate, and highly electrical.

Professor Phoebe talks with you a short time longer, which basically just amounts to more praise and telling you how great you are, before {if@ Learning Time! > 0}moving on to work with Delilah and whatever item from her list. Before she goes, she sets you up with some rubber target dummies to practice your thrust technique on, and some spinny-stick-on-pole things to practice evading, ducking, and blocking. You practice for a few more minutes until it's really drilled into your muscle memory, using the half of your brain not focused on training on thinking what you should get her help with next.{else}the bell rings, signalling the end of class and the end of the working day. Professor Phoebe calls all of you in for a final discussion in the centre of the Gymnasium before anybody leaves. You walk with her, baton staff in hand, watching all of your classmates converge from each of their various corners of the space.{endif}

New Baton Technique mastered: Volt Staff!