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RE: following the patterns - Catalina - 09-25-2024
Catalina nodded, determination clear in her eyes as she adjusted her grip on the staff. She took a deep breath and stepped toward the target, her hands still a bit unsure on the weight and balance. The staff wobbled in her grasp as she made her first awkward swipe, the end of it swinging a little too wide.
[say] "Whoa—okay, that’s heavier than I expected," [/say] she muttered under her breath with a nervous laugh, nearly losing her footing as she tried another strike. Her movements resembled a baby deer on ice, just as she had joked earlier, her strikes clumsy and lacking precision. The staff felt like a burden in her hands as she tried to follow the Sword’s examples.
After a few more fumbled swings, Catalina paused, adjusting her stance and grip. She took a moment to feel the weight of the staff properly this time, letting her body settle into the motion instead of forcing it.
[say] "Okay, okay, let’s try this again," [/say] she said to herself, her brow furrowed in concentration.
With a deep breath, she tried again, this time moving slower, letting the momentum of the staff guide her. The next swing, aimed at the target’s ribs, was more controlled, her arms finding their rhythm. The weight of the staff no longer felt so awkward; instead, she began to flow with it, each strike becoming more natural as she adapted to its heaviness. Each attack was simple, exhibiting that of a new trainee.
She smiled, the clumsiness fading away as she performed a few more swipes, each one smoother than the last.
[say] "There we go," [/say] she said, more to herself than anyone, the excitement returning to her voice. [say] "I think I’m starting to get the hang of this!" [/say] She swung at the target’s side of the head where the temple would be, the staff landing with a satisfying thud.
RE: following the patterns - Deimos - 09-26-2024
The reactions had him amused; but only because it’d been on one of his many predictive courses. The staff was an intriguing weapon; not serrated and sharpened like so many others in the vicinity, but a work in balance, and those who could wield one learned how to defend and maul amidst their own tenacity. A blow could still hinder, hurt, and maim, break bones apart given enough strength and power, and so they weren’t to be disregarded or discarded in the slightest.
And the movements should’ve been clumsy. He stood with his great patience and composure, head tilting to watch as she made a few more fumbling swings, opted to adjust her stance and grasp on her own (an independent mind could always be appreciated), and then followed through on a few others. [say]“Good,”[/say] he commended her on her efforts, because he knew several who would’ve given up three moves before. [say]“Do you want to try blocking?”[/say] Because for all the good it would be against a target, those effigies weren’t moving. But the Sword would wait, to see if she would prefer slamming upon the still quarry until she grew more comfortable, or she was ready to amplify the barrage.
RE: following the patterns - Catalina - 09-27-2024
As Cat had landed the last hit with a satisfying /THWAK/, her eyes lit up a little bit. The staff having found it's own little odd balance in her hand, something that she would have to work hard at to get use to, but also something that wasn't too terrible to get practice with. Though, the full potential of such a weapon still yet to weigh completely on the woman's mind.
Hearing Deimos call out to her, the red head shifted her seafoam gaze with a lopsided grin. [say] "Thanks." [/say] She gave a brief nod, readjusting her stance to a little more relaxed one as she had held the staff on her shoulder. As he had offered to throw her some strikes for blocking, a larger grin tugged along her lips.
[say] "I think that'd be good. Don't they say sometimes the best offense is a good defense?" [/say] The woman asked curiously, wondering if she had asked the appropriate question.
Cat was already starting to sweat beneath her cloak, shrugging off the larger one to offer her better movement, and for the colder air to penetrate her to knock off some of the sweat. She had tossed it aside, out of the way. Not afraid to get it dirty, as it was already a dark woodsy color. What would a little ice, or even dirt hurt it? It wouldn't.
Walking back over towards the center, she had glanced up towards the man curious of how.. she would be able to properly block an oncoming attack with her staff. One would think it was common sense, but.. she had a feeling this would lead to more than she would had originally guessed.
RE: following the patterns - Deimos - 09-28-2024
[say]“Sometimes,”[/say] he mused in return, a small smile forming in the corner of his mouth. It was a conditional aspect, and given how many encounters he’d had lately with powerful and potent things, he opted for all ranges of potential sieges, either offensive or defensive. [say]"Depends on the situation."[/say]
And though these were not the same circumstances, she’d be able to figure out multitudes of potential simply from swinging the staff around and testing out the way to properly get herself in and out of situations. [say]“There are many ways to defend yourself,”[/say] he offered, head tilting, maneuvering across the grounds in long, sweeping strides, preparing his own motions while delivering instruction. [say]“One is to simply leave – move out of range.”[/say] Shifting, leaving the assault to nothing but air as one repositioned. [say]“Another is to block it and catch the motion with your staff.”[/say] She’d likely strive for that; most did. He demonstrated with a brief motion towards the effigy, slow, so she’d be able to see the entire thing. [say]“We can try either of these initially.”[/say] Then move onto feinting and launching her own assault.
From there, he shifted, extending his staff out in a wayward attempt to knock at her knees; purposeful and leisurely enough so she could decide her options.
RE: following the patterns - Catalina - 10-02-2024
Catalina gripped the staff tightly, her knuckles whitening against the smooth wood. She watched the man’s every move, absorbing his words like a sponge, her usual bubbly excitement tempered by the focus that training demanded. The idea of simply moving out of range seemed smart—logical even—but there was something about standing her ground that resonated with her.
As she watched his slow, deliberate movements, mimicking them with her own staff, Catalina’s brows furrowed in concentration. She tried to visualize the force behind an actual attack, not just the gentle sweep he offered. [say] "It’s like a dance, isn’t it?" [/say] she mused, the hint of a smile playing on her lips. [say] "Each move carefully placed, knowing when to step in and when to step back." [/say] She shifted her stance, feeling the weight of the staff in her hands, ready to meet his next strike.
When he extended his staff towards her knees, Catalina reacted, shifting her weight and swinging her own staff down to block it with a /CLACK/. It was slow enough for her to react to it, yet still had some force behind it. The impact, though light, sent a jolt up her arms, and she grinned at the sensation. [say] "I’ll get the hang of this, one step at a time." [/say]
RE: following the patterns - Deimos - 10-03-2024
At her comparison, he afforded a brief bark of a laugh. [say]“In a way. Though you only know one part of the choreography.”[/say] One’s own moves and measures. It’d be many a time where he’d settled across a battlefield amongst his brethren, standing along the horizon line and waiting for the right moment to strike – all part of the game, of predictions and predilections, of danger and intrigue. Were it not so bloody and devastating, perhaps more would have participated. [say]“As you get better, you might anticipate an enemy’s intentions.”[/say] Become capable of reading another individual, of contemplating where they might go, and how one might counter the attempts.
Then she countered, and he waited again, watching as she swung her staff down to block. A smart execution, and he nodded at the insinuation. [say]“I am going to move faster this time,”[/say] to instigate what some of the barrages might entail; but also so she was ready for the siege coming her way. He shifted his movements entirely though, long strides sweeping easily towards her left, and rushing his staff towards her shoulders. While it still wasn’t as quick as he’d deliver to an opponent, it would be enough to cause her to engage in accelerated responses.
RE: following the patterns - Catalina - 10-03-2024
Catalina felt her breath steady, the weight of the staff grounding her as she listened to his advice. His words made sense—predicting an opponent’s moves was a skill she hoped to master. The thought of it, of understanding the dance of combat, intrigued her, even as it intimidated her. She gave him a determined nod in response, eyes focused. He spoke the truth. That much was for certain.
Catalina watched his movements closely, her grip tightening around the staff as he warned her about the increase in speed. She braced herself, focusing on what she'd just learned. Anticipate. React. But as soon as he moved, she realized how much faster he was. His staff came sweeping toward her left side, aiming for her shoulder.
She tried to pivot in time, but her response was too slow. The force of his staff collided with hers, knocking it off balance, and she felt the sting as it grazed her shoulder. Her grip faltered, and she stumbled back, struggling to recover. She didn't have the proper footing or the right handling against blocking that attack.
Wincing and biting back a laugh at her own mistake. [say] "Guess I wasn't ready for that like I should had been....." [/say] She rubbed her shoulder, grinning despite the failure. She wasn't disheartened in the least, actually... it did quiet the opposite to her. She felt even more determined. Readying once more, she felt her hands slide down the staff, her knuckles not whitening this time from the grasp. She aimed for a fluid movement, like the rivers that carved through the land.
RE: following the patterns - Deimos - 10-04-2024
The attack, while not harsh or unrelenting (purposefully), seemed to do enough multitudes regardless, and he ceased immediately. The combination of staff, sting, and not bracing for either impact had caught her off guard, and he nodded at her insinuation. [say]“Grounding yourself will help.”[/say] He demonstrated the movements and motions again, bearing his weight down into the floor. [say]“Your power comes from your frame, and if you find yourself floundering, you are unlikely to be successful.”[/say] Not with flailing about.
But then she was trying once more, and he began to utilize his long strides, sweeping over to her right. Not wanting to be predictable, as he’d never been on the battlefield and certainly wasn’t going to be now, he carved his wake through with the staff towards her ribs on this interval; still intentionally slower and less potent than he’d ever be with a true foe.
RE: following the patterns - Catalina - 10-04-2024
Listening to him speak as he had gave her pointers, she had thought of this.. grounding herself that he spoke of. Yes, she grounded herself when she had chopped would, and would go hunting, but nothing compared to this. This... was a different thing entirely. As he had directed her on where her power had came from, she had looked up towards him thoughtfully. From her frame? Comparitively, he was larger than she was. Showing that his strength would out do her entirely. Though, an idea sparked in the depths of her mind. AHA! Her eyes lighting up with a sudden understanding of what he had talked about.
[say] "I think I understand now." [/say] She confirmed with a nod of her head, her feet shifting on the ground beneath them.
Catalina's feet moved with newfound grace, sliding across the ground as though she were dancing rather than sparring. When the Sword swept his staff toward her ribs, she didn’t just block it—she flowed with it, her body twisting in sync with the strike. Her staff arced up like an extension of her arm, redirecting the force away from her side in one fluid motion.
Her breath came steady, matching the rhythm of her movements as she spun on her heel, circling him with an effortless glide. Instead of clashing against his strikes with brute force, she used the momentum of his attack, guiding it past her with a fluid flick of her staff. Allowing the wood grains to slide against one another.
There was something about the staff that she began to enjoy. It.... wasn't just about brute strength, but the calculations that one made while using it. If they were going by just brute strength, he would had surely already put her six feet down in the ground.
[say] "Like that?" [/say] She asked, her eyes widened a little at the actions she had just done.
RE: following the patterns - Deimos - 10-05-2024
Amused, he watched as she seemed to be actively thinking of her intended pursuit. Altering her motions to what needed to be done, the blockade via wooden staffs reigned, and he snorted, giving her a slight smile again. [say]“Like that,”[/say] he echoed, confirming with a nod. Had he utilized any of his actual distinctions, she would’ve been decimated; but that wasn’t the point here. The Sword was confident in his own abilities, and had no reason to pulverize another opponent, especially one willing to learn, take advice, and utilize things appropriately. [say]“Do you feel more comfortable with it now?” [/say]
She seemed so, anyway, which meant he intended to amplify things again.
Snagging at another position by long strides sweeping across the floor to her right, his head tilted, pondering over where to press next. They could continue manifesting defenses for lengthy periods of time, but that would only permit her to deploy one skill, and Deimos had always been a thorough instructor of battle aims and arts – depending entirely on what the student opted and aimed for themselves. [say]“We can also try attacking.”[/say]
And from there, they could volley and rally, striving to repeat necessities and movements, until Catalina felt sufficient in her goals for the day.
[FIN]