[Week 31, Day 7] When fist meets flesh...

[coldobelisk]

Who: Asuka Tenjoin, Niko Leandros
Status: Closed.
Style: Past tense, Third person.
Where: Just outside Mizusato
When: Afternoon, Week 31 Day 7
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: None
Summary: Niko meets with Asuka, to see if she is ready to learn how to fight.

Comments

Sorry for the delay, life ate me

[coldobelisk]

It wasn't hard to spot Niko, even before he introduced himself, his clothes marking him as not from this world as clearly as a neon sign. Turning to face the man who had offered to consider her for training, she did her best to take his measure. The fluidity and silent control of his movements suggested to even an amateur like Asuka that his earlier claims had not been idle boasts.

Standing still while he gave her the same once over she had given him, likely trying to see just how committed she was in her request for training. Well, she had no intention of giving him even the slightest sign of hesitation, her stern amber eyes meeting his without flinching despite their noticeable difference in height and build. If she were being honest, she'd admit Niko was a bit intimidating, but compared to the monsters she'd faced that factor wasn't enough to make her back down.

She wanted this.

"Hello Niko," she replied with a polite bow. "You can just call me Asuka, there's no real need for formalities here."

Sorry, you probably never got a notif the first time

[coldobelisk]

For Asuka, it was just a gesture of greeting as ingrained into her by her culture as waving probably was in his. His efforts to pronounce her name correctly was noted, and she smiled slightly at the sign of respect from him.

"Yes. I dance, play tennis, swim, learned a little gymnastics when I was younger, not to mention general physical fitness." She ticked the list of activities off one finger as if it was perfectly normal. Whatever Asuka tried, she put herself fully into it.

No need to apologize

[coldobelisk]

Asuka listened intently to Niko's words, her posture and attentive expression the same that were known so well to her teachers back at the academy. Looking down at the way her feet were positioned, a factor she had rarely given much conscious thought to outside of her clubs and classes, she nodded before returning her attention to Niko.

"Set my feet farther apart," she repeated, studying his stance intently, seeing how his body positioned itself, before trying herself. Initially she tried to copy his positioning exactly, but quickly she realized that his proportions were far different from hers, and she tried to adjust. "Can adjusting my stance compensate for that?" It was an honest question, not one of disbelief.

[coldobelisk]

Asuka's stance lost some of its fluidity when Niko stepped closer, her body instinctively tensing as the much larger and stronger boy was suddenly inside her personal comfort zone. Lacking the ability to move with Niko's push, she found herself sliding one leg out quickly to compensate and halt her unwanted motion.

"Understood," she agreed, compensating quickly, moving her food as directed to try and get her posture just right. While her focus was excellent, the trouble was she found herself getting so caught up in perfecting all aspects of her stance, that she lost sight of how the whole picture came together.