[SE] [Training] to survive, one way or another

Deimos

Coasting away from the Castaway Exchange, the Boondocks held an enigmatic sort of backdrop. Deimos would’ve been content to stare out across the water, gazing upon the tide and swells, the oceanic cliffsides, the lure of ships coming to either doom or triumph – but there were other means and measures to be had, so he’d take the long blades of grass and the overgrown road for now.

Pondering whether or not he should wear his armor for the occasion, he figured he’d let Alys decide on the manner of their current training – he had multitudes amidst his tutelage, and was usually suited to anything anyone else wanted to try, practice, and hone their skills within. “Was there anything you wanted to work on?”

you're all bronze and bite
all venom and fistfight

Alys

Alys might have chided Deimos for not taking this time for himself - he was always striving to work, to help, to contribute in some way to everyone but himself - but she figured that her scolding would fall on deaf ears. The Sword seemed to be unable to sit still for long, always seeming to be searching for the next thing to work on, perhaps because there was indeed an unending list of things that needed to be done. Alys hoped that she wasn't just another checkbox on that list, but she followed along meekly at the suggestion of training. She could always use instruction, after all.

At Deimos's question, the seer paused. "I don't often fight hand-to-hand," she said before making a face. Truth be told, she didn't fight much at all, but that was neither here nor there. "I'm not sure I even know how to throw a decent punch." Perhaps today would remedy that for her, but she would leave final plans and procedures up to Deimos.

I once believed love would be burning red
But it’s golden

Deimos

If the world wasn’t constantly in some state of crisis, perhaps Deimos would find time to settle into something that wasn’t a restless and ongoing routine. But every week seemed to bring about new and unsettling information about the current state of affairs, and the Sword simply couldn’t afford the luxury of taking a few moments to himself. Eventually, at some point, he’d snag more than a few breaths, but with the present circumventing, and another Starfall trip looming in the near-distance future, his mind was on machinations, not repose. That could come after – if there was one at all.

Tilting his head back at Alys, he muffled a laugh. No, he couldn’t her willingly offering up a hand-to-hand approach – she didn’t seem much the type to get involved in such melees – so he snorted instead. “That is all right. We can make an attempt.” There were multitudes of skirmishes to become involved in – and who knew nowadays, with the way Caido had tilted. “We can work on a stance first.”

He took a few steps back, before developing a basic stature in front of her. Bending his knees slightly, he positioned his feet a little more than shoulder-width apart, lead foot in front, posture lightly leaning forward, while his back was straight. “Try this first, then we can work on hand position,” intending to have her copy the same position as him.

you're all bronze and bite
all venom and fistfight

Alys

Well, at least she'd provided a momentary amusement to the Sword, who had the decency to muffle his laughter at her admission. If she'd been as prickly as she'd once been, she might have taken offense, but these days, she was much more patient, especially with her friends. So instead, she smiled, offering a shrug.

With their path decided, Deimos took a few steps away and demonstrated the stance he wanted her to take. It was somewhat similar to fighting with daggers, although she tended more towards telekinesis with those than anything resembling hand-to-hand combat. Still, she copied Deimos fairly well, setting her feet shoulder-width apart, bending her knees slightly, and leaning forward just a hair. Her one mistake was not having one foot forward as a lead foot. "Like this?"

I once believed love would be burning red
But it’s golden

Deimos

He inspected, head tilting, pinpointing the exact issue before they could do much more, nodding, content with the rest. “You should pick a lead foot. Find which one is comfortable for you.” Some people were ambidextrous, or had developed their proclivity due to previous injuries, but most had some kind of modicum for right or left.

Waiting for her to adjust, he then proceeded to move forward, resuming back to his prior position so she could mirror it once more. “When you are fighting hand to hand, you also want to raise them so they are shoulder level, and your dominant one is back.” He demonstrated again, leveling his fists, moderately tight, in front of his chest, bending his elbows slightly, but not taut against his frame. “You want to keep your arms extended to properly defend yourself with blocks as well.” Pausing, because he knew these portions were a bit droll and dull, he grinned. “Once we get your stance down, we can try some maneuvers.” 

you're all bronze and bite
all venom and fistfight

Alys

Nodding, Alys tried her right foot forward, but it felt awkward and uncomfortable; she switched to her left and immediately felt better. She'd heard of some people being ambidextrous and been envious of how easy they must find things in comparison to the rest of the world; although, upon further thought, she wondered if it was more difficult to have to practice and master things with both sides.

In any case, once her stance was appropriate, Deimos moved on to show her how to hold her hands. She attempted to mirror him, raising her arms until her hands were at shoulder level, her right hand back as her dominant one. This time, she thought she managed to mimic him fairly well, although she was sure that there was probably some detail she was overlooking. "How extended?"

I once believed love would be burning red
But it’s golden

Deimos

He watched, nodding along as she brought her hands forward and up in the same defensive posture. “That depends on the attack coming in, and how you will defend yourself. Blocking can be effective in many circumstances. We can try some.”

Aligning himself in front of her, and lowering himself a bit more so their heights weren’t so difficult to spar within, he raised his fist. “I am going to aim at you, slowly,” so she’d have an opportunity to counter, evade, or safeguard herself from the incoming blow. “Think about what would come naturally to you.” He’d like to see what her frame would react to initially, before they built up on any more skills. She might have enough wherewithal to inherently respond and oppose.

And he meant what he said, making his motions so profound and obvious that she’d have ample time to figure out her next maneuver, as he aimed for her right shoulder, with little power behind it.

you're all bronze and bite
all venom and fistfight

Alys

Her stance, it seemed, passed Deimos's inspection, for they were quickly moving on to actual exercises. Alys pondered her options as Deimos prepped her for the coming onslaught - if it could even be called that - and when he came in, slow and light, towards her right shoulder, she immediately leaned left to attempt to dodge out of the way, taking care to keep her arms up to guard against whatever would come next.

It was what came naturally to her: evasion, rather than outright blocking. It was what she often utilized with her illusion magic. Deception, and then flight. It had worked against the yeti, anyway.

But just now, she didn't call upon her magic, focusing instead on the pure physicality of the lesson. After all, one of these days, she might find herself unable to rely on her abilities to get her out of a tight situation. And if that occurred, she had better be prepared.

I once believed love would be burning red
But it’s golden

Deimos

“Evasion is a good, natural tactic to have,” he surmised, watching as she ducked away from the slow, impending hit. It was an inherent ability, in most, to balk and strive to avoid the incoming melees – and yet, he’d seen a great number of individuals somehow still opt out of that. But Alys wasn’t the sort to rampage her way into a scene, and for that the Sword was grateful that those notions could be left out of the lessons. “However, it may not always be an option. So you may want to try and use your arms to block the strike. Just for the practice and feel."

He demonstrated, raising his forearms enough so that it blocked his face entirely, moving it in several directions to show how it could be utilized to hamper, and obstruct forces around his shoulder and chest. “I will do the same thing, only you try to hinder my progress this time.” Just as the Warden said, true to his word, he utilized the same fist, intending to leisurely make his way over to her shoulder.

you're all bronze and bite
all venom and fistfight

Alys

Evasion tactics had served her well thus far, and were certainly what came the most naturally to the seer. That didn't, however, mean that she should neglect other options. As Deimos said, sometimes, dodging or fleeing might not be effective, so she should at least understand the basics of how to defend herself in other ways. She mimicked Deimos's motions as he demonstrated. "Like this?" she asked, her brow creasing in concentration as she moved in ways that she had never attempted before. It was awkward, and uncomfortable, but Alys knew that if she practiced enough, it could become second nature.

So she would have to practice enough.

The next slow punch that Deimos threw glanced off her forearm when she raised it to block, and she nodded almost to herself, indicating that she understood how to obstruct a blow. Still, she didn't let her guard down, in case Deimos decided to throw another punch.

I once believed love would be burning red
But it’s golden

Deimos

He nodded at her inquiry, but they’d see how suitable it was in practice, rather than in theory, a moment later. As his fist glanced off her forearm, she’d receive firsthand knowledge of how impactful the blocking could, arching his brow and pausing – not willing to offer another blow quite yet.

“Go ahead and reset, then we will try a different location.” He wanted to see how she thought and conducted herself, what she’d be capable of and subsequently unfurl, if he opted for a siege and assault elsewhere.

Once she’d done so, he initiated another slow and steady onslaught, lowering his fist so the looming punch, with plenty of time to block, would be leisurely heading for her ribcage.

you're all bronze and bite
all venom and fistfight

Alys

When another blow didn't immediately follow, Alys relaxed her arms, shaking them out and stretching her neck before resetting her position. Deimos's blow might have been slow, but it had still had an impact, and she hadn't been entirely prepared for how that would feel. Now that she knew what to expect, she hoped that she would be more effective with the next strike.

Once she was suitably positioned, Deimos came at her again. This time, his strike aimed lower, towards her exposed ribcage, and she wasn't sure exactly how to go from protecting her face to blocking a lower strike. Her hesitation cost her: she moved too slowly, and failed to block the punch. Instead of stopping the blow, she merely deflected it, and it still clipped her ribs despite her efforts.

I once believed love would be burning red
But it’s golden

Deimos

He’d expected a more natural movement, some portions of maneuvering that instinctually designated downward. He must’ve caught her off guard though, for she was late in the proceedings, and while he had put no effort into the punch, it probably still didn’t feel well. “Sorry,” he offered immediately – if Zuriel was with him, the notion of healing would’ve been rendered too, but the unicorn was back home, ensuring his household was guarded efficiently.

Giving her some time and space, backing off a bit, he considered some options, but ultimately figured she should be the one to decide – it was her training after all. “Do you want to try that again, or some of your own hitting opportunities?”

you're all bronze and bite
all venom and fistfight

Alys

Deimos clipped her ribcage with his punch, and she instinctively flinched away from the blow. It stung a bit, but it didn't truly hurt. She didn't even think it would bruise. It had taken her by surprise more than anything, which was a little sad, considering how slowly and purposefully he had been moving.

At Deimos's apology, Alys waved a hand dismissively. "Don't worry about it, it was my fault." It hadn't really even hurt enough to bother with healing, which she could do for herself if she was so inclined. The Sword backed off, and Alys dropped her guard, considering her options. "Could you show me some variations of blocks?" she asked. "It didn't really feel natural to me, so I need to practice, but I want to make sure I'm doing it right."

I once believed love would be burning red
But it’s golden