Team XISR Dorm (Day)
"Let me see if I have this right. You want me to teach you how to hone your magic?" Russo asked Ivy.
The girl nodded. "Yeah. I want to get better than just...this." Ivy summoned a ball of green energy in her palm to demonstrate her point. "It just never really happens the way I want it to."
"Fine. But I'm not an expert in this kind of stuff. I've never been a good teacher. But I wouldn't be a good leader if I didn't try as hard as I can to assist my teammates." the blonde said, sighing. "Magic is a very finicky thing. I find that it manifests best as a person's strength and weakness. For example:" Fire burst from Russo's hands and swirled around the room as his left eye glowed crimson. "Fire can represent relentless fury and destructive hot-bloodedness."
"Yeah, I can see that in you. You tried to strangle a guy just because he got the last pretzel at Wetzel's." Ivy blanched, making her teammate cough.
"Anyways...Fire can also be a comforting warmth and a protective light. Both these aspects tell a bit about who I am, and what could be improved." the blonde explained after putting out his flames. "As such, it's likely that your plant manipulation is a reflection of your self."
"I don't follow." Ivy said, confused.
"I know you don't like talking about your past, but I might have an idea on why your magic behaves the way it does." Russo said. "Due to your upbringing outside the Kingdoms, it's likely you managed to awaken your abilities sooner than normal. This most likely is the reason you have a harder time than the others. But it also means you have more practice than us."
Ivy blinked at that, seeing a positive spin on her rather bleak childhood for the first time in her life. She began chuckling, confusing Russo. "So, do you have any tips for me?" she asked.
"Well, there is something." the blonde answered. "Magic is like a muscle. As you change and mature, so do your powers. Remember the Paladin fight?"
"What about it?" Ivy asked.
"Just before I was put out of commission, I learned something interesting." Russo said, taking a few pebbles from his jacket pocket. With a strained grunt, the stones began to levitate. However, they only stayed in midair briefly before falling back to his palm.
"I thought you said you could control fire." Ivy said accusingly.
"I can. But it's a bit more nuanced than that." the blonde said, putting the pebbles on his nightstand. "While I was initially restricted to using fire, my time here at Beacon has opened me up a bit more." Memories of the time he spent with his new friends rang through his mind. "As I discover more about myself, I can learn more complex spells and techniques. My mom compared it to some weird game she played on time. I think it was called Alter Ego or something stupid like that."
"What's your point with all of this?" the girl asked.
"Oh, right. Lost track for a while there." Russo said, trying to remember the reason for this meeting. "Your powers will come to you. Like the plants you control, they need time to grow and evolve. Eventually, you'll have mastered your abilities. Just be patient." Soon after that pep talk, his and Ivy's Scrolls began beeping. "Hm. Looks like there's something happening in Combat Class. Let's move."
Ivy watched the retreating form of her leader with curiosity. She wondered how exactly he and her other teammates were able to perform magic. When she asked Sapphire, he responded by telling her 'It just awakened one day in the woods.'. He also said that his brother really didn't like talking about the day he figured out how to perform pyromancy.
She knew from his tone that there was more he didn't tell her, but she didn't say anything. It seemed like a sensitive topic.
Combat Class (Day)
"Before we start, can I ask something of you, Pyrrha?" Russo asked his opponent as they both walked onto the stage. "Please don't hold back. I want to win against the REAL you. Come at me with the absolute best you have, or I'll forfeit."
The redhead was surprised by the declaration. Just by looking at his face, she knew he was completely serious about this. Inwardly, she was glad. She'd seen the boy fight before and knew his strength. With a smile, she held out her hand. "It's a deal." she said as the blonde shook her hand.
As soon as the beep that signifies the match sounded, both students rushed at each other with their weapons in hand. The clanging noise of metal colliding resounded through the room.
Pyrrha had run towards her adversary with her shield out, protecting her from any of his slashes. With it, she bashed into Russo, damaging his Aura. While he was stunned, she barraged him with attacks from her own sword. The blonde noticed the black energy surrounding the blade as it crashed into him. 'Polarity.' he remembered. 'Oh, sheep.'
If she were to use her Semblance on his weapon, his odds of winning would lower drastically. Knowing he had to win with a long-range strategy, Russo jumped back and fired off a volley of fireballs. Pyrrha had dodged a few, but most of the flames hit their target. Those that didn't left scorch marks on the floor.
"Yararara! Now this is fun!" Russo exclaimed, jubilant.