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+---- Thread: [Training] The end is what you fear (/showthread.php?tid=10772)
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The end is what you fear - Maea - 03-01-2025
Though the early morning wind was anything but warm, it was a decided improvement to the freezing temperatures of the Grounds. And while a pelting rain soaked her to the skin and made the rocky ground slick and hazardous to tread, it was an improvement to ice, sleet and muddy paths.
Focus on the positive. Find the silver linings. Embrace them, and face the stormclouds later.
After a quick warmup, Maea began to move through a series of exercises. Strengthening her core, legs and back, alongside legs and arms, she made a dance out of the motions. Slowly shifting from stance to stance, paying attention to where stiffness hindered her, where imbalances had begun to set in, repeating a form over and over whenever her body hesitated, she let go of everything else.
It felt good to move again. For too long she had neglected her training, and she felt it keenly. Her reflexes had dulled, instincts were getting in the way, not to mention what the trauma of dying had done to her mind...
No matter. She was adressing it now. And in a while, when she felt ready, she might return to the city and find someone to spar with. Maybe Hadama would have time.
A thought for later; she set it aside, counted her breaths and returned to the first stance, beginning the series over again with water running down her face and back, sodden white hair plastered against her neck.
RE: The end is what you fear - Lyra - 03-01-2025
Early morning workouts were, to Lyra, a necessary evil.
As a search and rescue responder, it was integral that she stayed fit enough to hike over all kinds of terrain and help haul unfortunate victims from the unlikeliest of places. But that didn't mean she had to like getting up every morning, even in a cold rain, and making her way to various places across Torchline to train.
Today it was the Rainbow Road. Lyra dressed for the weather, but was still soaked to the bone within minutes. Her dark hair was tied back, but tendrils that had escaped were plastered to her face and neck as she jogged across the vibrant volcanic rock that covered the area. Normally, this was one of her favorite runs. On days like today, though, she would have rather been anywhere else.
The woman was surprised to find that another - an Ancient, no less - seemed to have had the same idea as she, and as she approached the stranger doing a series of exercises, she thought about passing by, with perhaps a friendly wave. But she'd found that company often made miserable workouts better, so she slowed to a walk, reaching her hands up and resting them loosely atop her head as she approached the stranger.
[say]"Hi,"[/say] she said, perhaps a bit shyly. [say]"I'm Lyra. I noticed you were training. I am too, and I thought I'd see if you wanted any company. No worries if not. It just seems to help sometimes when the weather's like this."[/say]
RE: The end is what you fear - Maea - 03-01-2025
Twisting around so that she could see who was approaching, Maea intended to simply ignore the presence. The Rainbow Road was big enough for two, without anyone feeling crowded. Perhaps that's why she was surprised to be adressed; not only by a complete stranger, but a companionable one at that.
[say]"Lyra? That's a pretty name. I'm Maea."[/say] Slowing down to a stop, she wiped water from her face and assessed the woman, taking note of her height as well as the trim physique. Eventually a faint smile touched her expression. [say]"I wouldn't mind... did you wish to do anything in particular?"[/say] She could be flexible, she supposed. Hand-to-hand, with weapons or shifts... even magic, though after her long chat with Hadama Maea hesitated to use it when it wasn't necessary.
RE: The end is what you fear - Lyra - 03-02-2025
[say]"Oh, thank you!"[/say] Lyra said, offering the stranger a friendly smile. What a kind thing to say! She wasn't sure what she'd been expecting from a random person on the Rainbow Road, but here they were. [say]"So's Maea. Does it have any particular meaning?"[/say] she asked, both to be polite and because she was genuinely interested.
The rain continued to fall, and Lyra tried to wipe away a few drops that had gotten into her eyes. Unfortunately, it was a useless gesture; more rain trickled down her forehead even as she shielded her eyes with a hand. [say]"I usually run or work out alone,"[/say] Lyra admitted. [say]"It's been a while since I had a partner! Do you have any experience in hand-to-hand combat? I haven't sparred lately, so I'm probably a little rusty, but that could be fun."[/say] And interesting, given the weather, but Lyra was nothing if not up for a challenge.
RE: The end is what you fear - Maea - 03-02-2025
The Ancient shook her head with a faint smile, scattering raindrops from the smooth surface of her horns. [say]"If it does, I don't know it,"[/say] she admitted. [say]"I believe it's a family name though; my great aunt was called Mae."[/say] It wasn't something she had thought about in a very long time. Oddly, it felt good; not laced with the usual sadness, just a soft warmth of remembrance.
Setting thoughts aside for now, she considered the question and inclined her head again. [say]"Some, yes. A bit of boxing and I've learned a few kicks... It has been a while for me too, sounds like we might be fairly even."[/say]
Casting around for a flatter patch of ground, Maea moved over a bit and indicated for Lyra to join her. In fluid motions she sank into a ready stance, knees lightly bent and hands held up nin front of her - only marginally hindered by the weight of her sodden dress dragging about her legs. A long, pale-skinned tail coiled behind her heels in lazy anticipation; if not for the glint in her eyes she might have looked utterly relaxed.
[say]"Ready when you are."[/say]
RE: The end is what you fear - Lyra - 03-03-2025
Lyra listened and smiled, her expression sincere. She had no idea where her first name had come from, but her last name had been randomly assigned by the orphanage where she was raised. How lovely for Maea to have a family from whom to receive such a pretty name!
Of her own training, Lyra had done the most with kickboxing, finding it to be a relaxing way to work out while also building some self-defense skills. [say]”Perfect!”[/say] she said to Maea, following the Ancient to the patch of flat ground upon which they could spar. Without knowing anything about the woman before her, she could at least surmise that they might be fairly evenly matched from physique alone. Lyra was a little taller, but not so much so that it would be an advantage.
When Maea indicated that she was ready, Lyra raised her arms into a guard position, protecting her face from any incoming attacks. She balanced lightly on the balls of her feet, centering herself for a moment before striking hard and fast with a right jab towards Maea’s stomach.
RE: The end is what you fear - Maea - 03-03-2025
Letting go of all thought save for what existens right in front of her, Maea responded to the first punch with reflexes dulled from lack of use. Though she could follow the motion with ease, she found her body reluctant to obey as she twisted aside. Having intended to block with one hand and retaliate with the other, instead she grunted as Lyra's fist glanced off a rib. Her armored dress absorbed most of the impact, but she still sidestepped to regain balance.
Since she was already stepping, Maea figured the might as well utilize the momentum. Leaning back she swung a leg out in a low kick, aiming for the inside of a knee; not too hard, though an impact would probably sting good.
Overall, it wasn't the best feeling. She'd been in better shape than this; she would have to do something about it as the season progressed.
RE: The end is what you fear - Lyra - 03-03-2025
Lyra landed a glancing blow to the Ancient’s rib cage, silently rejoicing that she hadn’t completely lost her ability to fight in the length of time since she’d last sparred with anyone. But it was a short-lived celebration. Her jab was quick, but her opponent was quicker, and Maea swung a leg out towards Lyra’s knee.
The woman responded as well as she could, trying to take a step back to get out of the way, but she wasn’t fast enough. Maea’s blow connected, and Lyra let out a soft hiss. It wasn’t a terribly hard blow, but the placement meant that it had connected primarily with bone. Still, she was able to continue to put weight on it, so she shifted from a backward step into a forward step and aimed another punch at Maea’s rib cage.
RE: The end is what you fear - Maea - 03-03-2025
This time her reaction was quicker. The fist connected with the arm she raised in defense and Maea was able to roll away. Stepping continuously in the same direction, she tried to turn them both around so that Lyra had to keep moving over rainslick stone. The footing was precarious, rain obscured their vision; miserable conditions, all in all.
Attempting to distract Lyra with a sudden lash of the spade-tipped tail, Maea flashed another kick towards the same spot on the same knee as before.
It could have been cruel, had she put any real weight in. She was reluctant to do so; quite capable of doing serious harm, it felt better and safer to hold back. It was a spar. Only the improvement of forms and the better strategy would be won here, so there was no need to risk useless injuries.
RE: The end is what you fear - Lyra - 03-03-2025
Maea was quicker this time, and Lyra landed a glancing blow to the Ancient's arm before she was away again, circling Lyra as though she were prey. The rain-slick stone beneath her feet made for treacherous ground, and Lyra had to concentrate to keep from twisting an ankle. She tried to circle in the same spot, keeping Maea in her sights, but it was a challenge; the rain continued to pour down, drenching both women and leaving them to use other senses as much, if not more than, sight.
Maea's tail lashed, and Lyra reacted without thinking, and ended up running right into the Ancient's kick as she attempted and failed to dodge. This time, her knee buckled slightly, and she stumbled, trying to right herself on the slippery stone beneath her feet. Her arms flew wide momentarily as she caught her balance. Normally, she might try a kick, but she didn't like the way her knee pounded each time her foot hit the ground. Instead, she tried for another punch - this time a one-two combination that aimed to hit Maea's arms.
RE: The end is what you fear - Maea - 03-03-2025
Despite her intentions, seeing the woman stagger at the impact of her kick left a bad taste in her mouth. Perhaps she was overdoing it after all? Going too hard?
It wasn't a conscious decision to let Lyra land her punches. Maea simply hesitated, and before she realized her underarms rang with the impacts. Quick, fast, one-two - and she found herself grinning at Lyra. [say]"Nice one!"[/say] Being hit back made it feel a lot less like bullying.
Feigning to the side as if she intended to keep turning them around, this time the shorter Ancient went the other way. Continuing with the kicks, this time she aimed her foot solidly at Lyra's chest, hoping to push her off balance. It nearly caused her to drop; her foot slipped precariously on the ground, a patch of algae or perhaps moss nearly costing Maea her footing altogether.
RE: The end is what you fear - Lyra - 03-06-2025
Lyra grinned at Maea’s compliment, but didn’t drop her guard. She still held her arms up to protect her face, waiting for the next strike, for surely there was one to come. And indeed, not even a moment later, Maea was feinting to the side. Unfortunately, Lyra didn’t realize it was a feint until too late. The woman leaned back in an attempt to get out of range, but didn’t entirely evade the Ancient’s kick, which glanced off her chest hard enough to send a huff of breath from Lyra’s lips.
But Maea, Lyra thought, might have overplayed her hand on the slippery ground; the woman reacted quickly in an effort to grab Maea’s outstretched leg before it could fall back to regain her balance. If she succeeded, she would twist and push, aiming to throw the Ancient further off balance and, hopefully, bring her to the ground.
RE: The end is what you fear - Maea - 03-06-2025
Hands closed around her ankle. Maea had to do some fast thinking on how to get out of this spot of trouble, but the options were few. No weapons, she wouldn't suddenly throw magic at the woman, The rain kept pouring into her eyes and made her dress heavy and more cumbersome by the minute. The ground was too slick to offer much grip so she couldn't really pull free - which meant that there was only one way to go.
With a sudden wicked looking grin, her tail came up and wrapped firmly around Lyra's wrist even as Maea's leg was manipulated. Pushed back, she opted to go down by sinking and rolling onto her back on her own rather than being pushed; and the firm grip of the tail meant the other woman would get pulled down too. If Maea was going down, Lyra would be coming right along with her. Already wet, what was a bit of mud? Given the weather, it would have washed off by the time either of them were back under a roof anyway.
RE: The end is what you fear - Lyra - 03-06-2025
The two women seemed surprisingly evenly matched, and Lyra was pleased that her plan to grab Maea's leg worked so well - until it didn't. A tail flicked up to wrap around her wrist, and as the Ancient toppled, she pulled Lyra down with a yelp. As she sat in the mud, the woman started to laugh. Rain dripped from her nose as she regarded Maea and held up her hands in surrender. [say]"Alright, you win,"[/say] she said, clambering to her feet. [say]"That's a neat trick. Bet it comes in handy sometimes, having a tail."[/say]
Standing once more, she offered a hand to Maea to help her from the mud. [say]"Thanks for the spar,"[/say] she continued. [say]"Definitely some room for improvement on my end, but you were great!"[/say] Even if she had ended up on the ground.