From being an Abandoned who had rarely left the Hollowed Grounds, to embracing the call of adventure, to dying and being reborn first as an Ascended and then as an Ancient, Maea has gone through quite the amount of changes in her life. One thing remains common, though, in her attempts to find out just where she belongs; she’s always had a craving for knowledge which has brought her to so many places and to meet so many people here in Caido. We can’t wait to see what else is in store for her!
Congratulations, Maea!
Credits
Court of the Fallen was created in October of 2018 by Odd, Honey, and Crooked.
Skinning and hosting by the epically talented Kaons, and functionality fanciness by the coding magic of Neowulf. If you ever see either of them around, make sure to show them some love!
Training is no foreign notion to Harper. Especially starting with someone so fresh-faced and untested. When he wakes that morning he walks through the clinic and, upon seeing Phoebe, asks for her to clear the noon hour for the start of their training, and to meet him in the empty streets of the Sanctuary. There's no need for anything special for their introductory lessons. Phoebe is just as likely to be attacked on the streets as she is in the nearby forests, and the flat, packed down earth provides freer movement than the tangled, dying foliage of the Glade.
Harper stands in the middle of it all, wearing a simple t-shirt and joggers as he warms up idly, swinging his arms and going through some stretches to loosen up his muscles as he waits for his partner to arrive. Already he has an idea of what he'd like to teach her, but first he'll have to assess her current skill level. Mind already deep in the process of training steps, Harper tils his face to the weak autumn sunlight and patiently awaits Phoebe's arrival.
can you protect me from what i want? the love i let in, it left me so lost
She had been surprised but happily so when Harper announced he wanted to start her training. Finally, something new to do! Something to focus on that was entirely about building her strength, making herself better and more capable. Others would benefit, yes, but she needed this; if only to prove to herself that she could. And so she made sure to arrange her schedule accordingly - as well as dress for this endeavor. Phoebe almost never wore pants, always in a dress or skirt, but today she donned leggings and sturdy boots with a long tunic style top. Her long, thick locks were braided down her back to keep it out of her face. Pim accompanied too of course, to supervise.
On first glace it would probably be clear to Harper the work she needed. Her limbs were lean and willowy, clearly lacking strength, and the rest of her frame was just as delicate. "Sorry to keep you waiting. Pim was slow to get up." she said with a hint of a smile.
Phoebe is not the first to have trouble giving up skirts beneath his training regime, though she's lucky she wore leggings today. Harper has definitely driven the point home in the past to his other students by stepping on, flipping, and tangling legs with skirt fabric. An amusing image, but he greets her with an approving smile nonetheless as he registers her approach.
Sending a playful wink at Pim as if they're co-conspirators, he moves to close the distance between them, crossing his arms behind his head. "Pim is innocent until proven guilty." Grinning, he gestures vaguely at Phoebe. "First pre-lesson: when sparring or anticipating a fight, always warm up. Otherwise you can pull, snap, or twist any number of tendons and muscles." Something she should appreciate avoiding as a medical professional. "Do some long, slow toe touches, hold your ankle up towards the small of your back, rotate every joint. That's a good basis for freeing up movement." He gestures for her to do so, content to wait for now as she does.
can you protect me from what i want? the love i let in, it left me so lost
Pim grumble growled his approval of this line of thinking. "You'll get in a lot of trouble if you think like that with Pim." she said with a light laugh. But then it was down to business. Stretches and warm-ups - okay she could do this bit no problem. With a curt nod she set to it, stretching her legs and arms, bending this way and that, following the forms he had shown, as well as those she already knew. Muscle injuries were common so she was well verse by now in a myriad of ways to work them without causing harm.
And Harper would see that despite her clear lack of strength, she made up for it in flexibility. Touching her toes was no problem, even with straight knees, and all of her joints seemed to stretch just a smidge passed straight. Not unsafely so, but a natural inclination to her build.
03-21-2020, 12:06 AM (This post was last modified: 03-21-2020, 12:08 AM by Harper.)
HARPER
"I'm not the one that has to be the bad guy," he jokes back as he sends a wink at Pim. It's like spoiling your nephews and stuffing them to the gills with sugar before returning them to their mother. Harper is more than happy to play that role.
He finishes his own stretches as Phoebe does hers, appraising eye critical and contemplative. Already having known Phoebe's body type prior to this his plans still hold firm, but it's good to know she's more flexible than he'd accounted for. Once they're decently warmed up, he steps closer and brings his hands up loosely in front of his chest. "We're going to work on finding a style that will benefit your smaller frame, so we're going to focus on speed and flexibility. All you need to know is that the bigger they are, the harder they fall." Here he slowly extends one fist in a parody of a punch before pausing, letting her take in the pose. "Most people are right handed, and will start any fight with a punch or slap that comes from their dominant hand. You can't totally rely on it, but anticipating it as their first move can help you strike fast and end it immediately." Here he gestures with his free hand to the space between his extended arm and his other hand, the exposed torso he has now turned into a target. "It's going to take some time to train yourself out of your flinch response, but you'll want to step close and get inside my range so you can toss me and avoid the punch." Harper gestures her forward to do so, and if she does he uses his free hand to guide her into place, fitting her in the empty space and placing her hands in two places: his right shoulder, and her left hand braced flat against the side of his elbow.
"From this pose you can hook your right leg behind mine, hold it strong or maybe kick out my knee, and then shove as hard as you can with your whole body. Remembering to keep your hand on my forearm so I can't hook your neck and bring you with me." Earnest blue eyes signal that he wants her to try it, fully prepared to end up talking on his back for most of today.
can you protect me from what i want? the love i let in, it left me so lost
Besides her flexibility, Harper could also count on Phoebe to be a good student. She always had been, and now would be no different, even though the subject matter was completely uncharted territory. She listened carefully and tried to tuck all the information away for later (because you could bet she was going to write notes), while studying his motions. The blonde bit at her lower lip, trying to break down the movement as he guided her through it, repeating it once more slowly to make sure she had the positions correct.
Then, with a little more speed, she struck. She shoved her weight forward into her right hand, kicking at his knee. But sloppy was probably the best way to describe her attempt. And pretty weak to be honest. No doubt she was fast but that was about all she had going for her.
Harper waits patiently until she's ready, and when she strikes it's with decent force. His knee buckles appropriately, and her shove has him stumbling back and nearly falling if it weren't for the overall lack of strength. Instead his knee skims the ground and he rocks awkwardly into a crouch before standing with a pleased smile. "Good job! You have to use the entirety of your body weight though, if someone is coming at you head on this is your best chance at knocking the wind outta them and giving you enough time to run or keep them on the ground." Here he gestures for her to do it again, getting back into position for her to maneuver herself this time, letting her learn the motions. "Don't worry about hurting me, kick hard and use your shoulder if you need to instead of your hand. Knee first, then shove. Don't off balance yourself."
can you protect me from what i want? the love i let in, it left me so lost
Don't worry about hurting him? She sighed a bit, squeezing her hands open and closed a few times. Worrying about people getting hurt was as natural to her as breathing! But she had to put it aside. This was the time for her to really try, so when it was serious she wouldn't doubt herself. Shaking out her hands she nodded, bouncing in her heels a bit. Maybe if she got a bit more speed that would help?
So she rushed forward, more accurate with her grab and kick this time. But she did throw herself off balance a bit, not quite catching the ground with her foot after kicking his knee. With an 'eep!' of alarm she fell forward, her full weight (not that it was terribly much) ramming into his shoulder.
Harper suspected early on that this would be Phoebe's greatest stumbling block, and he waits for her to steel her nerves to try once again. This time is far more successful, and he falls backward, left arm flying out to try and slow his descent when he realizes mid-fall that Phoebe is coming down with him. Wrapping his right arm around her general shoulder area, he takes the fall with a grunt as her weight knocks the breath from him, chuckling in a wheezing sort of way as it comes back.
"Well, I can't say it didn't accomplish the job." Laughing, he sits up with no more than a slight twinge, waiting for Phoebe to get up from where he'd cradled her to his chest before moving to stand and dust himself off. "Your form already improved though! Want to try it a little faster? I promise I won't hit you." Harper is more than used to feigning and pulling punches with his students.
can you protect me from what i want? the love i let in, it left me so lost
In a move thoroughly opposite of what she was trying to accomplish, Phoebe curled into Harper as his arm wrapped around her, hiding as they fell. The impact, though not terribly painful, was still jolting, causing a short grunt to part her lips as air was unceremoniously forced out of her lungs. "Still didn't go quite to plan, did it?" she said with a sigh. For a moment she felt like simply staying there, enjoying the feeling of being held. But it wasn't the time and...well he probably wasn't interested either. So she pulled herself to her feet and taking a few steps back to give him space to stand as well.
If they moved faster, one of two things would happen. She would either get punched in the face and fall down, or it would somehow become easier. Though the prospect of getting punched made her nervous, she figured it was more realistic to move at greater speed. So she nodded and prepped again, waiting for him to strike.
Her disappointment doesn't dissuade him from his goal of building her up, shooting her a grin and a shrug as they both pulled themselves up and back onto their feet. "Nothing ever does at first, that's what practice is for. And for a second try that was great." Good enough that he was ready to move on, to make it slightly more difficult. He intends to at least make her work up a sweat by the end of the session.
Once more her nerves are apparent, but she doesn't back down, which he silently commends her for. Harper has vast experience in pulling and redirecting his punches, but the idea of being punched in the face is intimidating regardless of how well-trained your partner is. But there's nothing that will soothe her nerves quite as well as her succeeding. And so Harper goes through the motion of a regular punch, leaving himself wide and moving with enough speed to make her act, but still quite slow in comparison to what reality would consist of.
can you protect me from what i want? the love i let in, it left me so lost
Her nerves truly would be the end of her, worrier that she was. But she had to focus on why she was training this way. In her mind's eye, behind Harper, were three blonde-headed little boys, cowering in fear, holding each other for comfort. Phoebe swallowed a lump in her throat. She couldn't be so weak. She couldn't fail again. She couldn't rely on others to do the fighting anymore.
So as he swung the punch at her, nerves steeled with stubborn determination, the momma bear in Phoebe came out. With all her force, and a fair bit faster than even she knew she could move, she charged Harper just as he hand shown her. This time she remained rooted to the ground as she shoved his arm aside and rammed into his shoulder, grunting with the force of it.
It's a resounding success this time around, Phoebe's swiftness and passion unexpected and therefore completely effective. Harper goes straight to the ground beneath her blow, completely winded for a moment as his lungs seize from the impact. As soon as he gets his first lungful back, Harper flips to his feet with a radiant grin and sweeps Phoebe up into his arms, spinning them both around with a cheerful cry. "You did it! That was perfect!" Laughing he sets her down, grasping her by the shoulders and beaming down at her.
"See? I knew you could do it! How do you feel?" Not just physically, but mentally as well. Harper knows how much this means to her, and while he has no direct line to her thoughts and the motivation the boys had given her, he at least knows it's a good idea to check in.
can you protect me from what i want? the love i let in, it left me so lost
Phoebe blinked a few times, staring in shock as Harper went flying back onto the ground and she yet remained standing. She glanced between him and her hands...and before she was suddenly was grabbed up and spun around. On instinct, she grabbed onto his shoulders, holding tight as he spun her. She laughed as he set her down, smiling up at him, if only from surprise alone.
"Uh..." she stuttered looking down at her hands. "It was...scary but...kind of exciting too!" she said, giggling nervously.
