Night 54: Soccer/Recreational Field
[from here]Though the night felt the same as any other, Brook felt that something was a little different than the usual. It was as though he could sense something about the place - like where things were dangerous and where they wouldn't be. Usually he knew that pretty well without the strange feeling. The Sun Room was always a big no-entry, and
( Read more... )
Taura stepped out on the field without her usual care in checking for ambushes; if Aigis had beaten her here, the woman could be in trouble.
The field was relatively quiet; a shock of purple hair by the wall had to be Leela, shepherding a tiny figure over to the wall. She would have said bodyguarding, by the set of her shoulders, but she could be wrong; the little one might be guarding her. Skill and technology -- or, here, magic -- were incredible equalizers.
That being said, there was no excuse for neglecting her own skills. She stepped over to the wall, examined it for hair, and pressed her hands against it while stretching her legs. She stayed close to the door; it was an exposed position, visible to anyone, which had her a little nervous. Friend or foe, either would be able to find her, but the door wasn't far.
[for Aigis, with possibly Zack & co dropping by.]
Reply
It struck Aigis after stepping out into the dark night that she had no idea whom she should look for. The name "Taura" could indicate any age or gender. It certainly wasn't Japanese but that was the only information she could glean from the name itself. It made her a little more wary but also nervous. How would she know who to approach?
The field was, luckily, sparsely populated for now. At the very least no monsters were about, though it was possible a brainwashed patient was hanging around in the shadows. Aigis was relatively positive she would have noticed if she were about to be attacked, though. She sensed no obvious animosity.
She would have to take a chance then. Hefting the claws she carried in one hand and shining about with her flashlight, she hesitantly stepped out into the open. "Taura-san?" Her voice was small but unafraid. "Taura-san?"
Reply
"Ms. Aigis?" Her voice was deep enough that, in the dark that it might be mistaken for a man's, but even a cursory glance would correct that. "Over here." She took a few long steps closer. "It's been remarkably peaceful out here tonight. You ready for a workout?"
She smiled, suddenly hesitant. Should she be friendly? Stern? Teaching styles, command styles; it was all the same conundrum. How was she supposed to know what Taura's style was without on-the-job experience? And how was she supposed to get that experience without getting anyone killed by her inexperience?
Miles could make it up as he went along, but he overestimated his friends. That's how I get them to do the impossible. Could it really be that simple? She let the smile widen. "First, we just need to get you comfortable with your new body ( ... )
Reply
She felt no fear and nodded to show her preparedness. Fighting was something that came innate, programmed. The style was what she needed to learn, but she was certain she could pick it up with just a little practice. And practice, whether it was against a dummy, a sparring partner or a monster made no difference to her. She would rather not hurt a fellow captive but she understood it was not a fight to the death, so she held no complaints. She did pause a moment after the comment about eating, though. Perhaps it was a figure of speech?
"Thank you for your consideration, Taura-san. I will do my best to keep up." She raised the claws in her hands and offered them to her teacher. "Will we have a chance to practice with these at some point?" That was her main goal, but she would understand if Taura found them too dangerous for hand-to-hand sparring for their first lesson.
Reply
"First, balance. This isn't the body I started with. My center of gravity used to be about -- here." Her entire body had been slung a little differently. More power in the legs, more flexibility, more everything except normal. She pointed to a spot a few inches from her belly button. "And that used to be here," she said, pointing a foot higher.
"Find your new balance." She waited until Aigis had at least tried to obey, and then shoved, just enough to knock her sideways. "Now see how well you can dodge. Don't try to fight back." As she spoke, she bounced on the balls of her feet, moving more quickly than her bulk might imply. Every once in a while she lunged for Aigis, again aiming only to shove.
"Get comfortable in this skin, kid, because it's the only one you've got right now."
Reply
Reply
By pushing herself back up and doing the best she could to ignore the pain. Good. "No problem." The other woman was still finding her balance, but she was improving on each move. The pain would likely help. Ground her, tie her to the nerves connecting hands and mind. Pain, hunger -- or their flip sides -- winning, sex, a four-star restaurant and a credit chit as bottomless as her stomach. Anything physical would help.
"On this next set, keep your hands loose. Try to hit me with your nails. Don't worry if you draw blood; even in this fragile version I have a high pain tolerance."
Reply
Reply
She sidestepped the attack, and then struck herself. A little demonstration might be in order, though she did have to be careful. Her painted nails brushed Aigis's throat in what could almost be mistaken for a caress, and then abruptly slid her hands into both of Aigis's armpits and picked her up like it was nothing. Her arms were shorte -- the difference wasn't quite as drastic as Taura was used to, but it was enough.
"You can't move like you're just battle armor without anything inside of it. You're so tense that if those strikes connected, you'd hurt yourself more than you'd hurt me." She smiled, trying to blunt the critique. "Human bodies can take more than you think. Relax. Every muscle, starting with your feet. Go completely limp, and I'll put you down."
Reply
Reply
Wait. What was that noise?
"Shh." Taura unconsciously demonstrated the advantage she was trying to teach; she held Aigis at an even height as she turned her face towards the shed, and shot a glance some might call lazy at the darkness beyond it. "I heard something. Did you?" Then she was silent another moment, listening. There it was again, a faint scrabbling. Like rats. She opened her grasp, abruptly, and went for her bag.
"Get your claws on. You're about to get that hands-on practice you wanted." Taura was tightening her own claw as she spoke -- she had to remember to drill with it more, especially if she was going to carry it rather than wear it all the time. Aigis likely ( ... )
Reply
Reply
Leave a comment