fandomhighdorms | Behind the Dorms, Tuesday After Classes

"Dodging," Arthur started, as soon as all had assembled, "Is a fine art in and of itself. When you lose your weapon, you may not be able to replace it. And even if you do have it, it might be useful to avoid being struck in the face." He paused briefly, grinning once. "But ask Zack about that. Today, we will be practicing that skill: it's a basic fighting technique, but there's no reason we shouldn't be brushing up on it."

Zack did his best to look indignant, but mostly he just came off as 'playfully pouty.' It was entirely possible that the muscles in his face had forgotten how to look indignant years ago.

"We're not going to do full-out sparring today, because there are so many different skill levels here, and we don't have a means of pairing you off the same way that Fight Club has. But we are going to pair you off anyhow. One of you will be our designated hitter, and please, don't use any powers, or super strength, or anything like that until your partner confirms that it's alright. The other one will dodge. Don't get hit, guys. It's not really all that fun. Throw a few hits, dodge a few hits, and swap off every five minutes." He swayed on his heels for a moment, and then added. "If anyone ends up hurt, then stop. If the injury is serious, let us know right away so that I can give you a healing potion or so we can get your butt to the clinic post-haste."

"Above all, share what you know," Arthur finished. "If someone conducts a particularly ambitious swerve, ask how, and attempt to repeat it. Remember to keep your distance, to watch your opponent's movements, and not to lose control of your own. I believe that's everything; grab a partner, and get to work."

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Triela paused, allowing Kennedy a beat to get a feel for where they were both standing, then she pivoted on her left foot, bringing her fist around in a backhand strike.

...or maybe not that much sense, if someone was thinking a step ahead of you. Things to get better at, check. The list was going to be epic.

"Whoa!" Kennedy yelped, and dropped into a highly inelegant half-crouch, not far enough to have trouble getting back up.

"Good reflexes," Triela said as she stepped back again, opening the range. "But you see the advantage of staying centered. If I had overextended I wouldn't have been able to switch directions like that."

"I get it now, yeah," Kennedy said. She straightened (ha), moved to stay squared up with Triela, and reminded herself not to fall for head and hand movements right away-- it might even work.

Seriously. Epic list was going to be seriously epic.

Nobody tell her that her Watcher already had a copy of that list, okay?

[[have to run afk for a few hours, sorry. back around 8:30ish?]]

"In that case..." Triela grinned just a bit and rushed in. She led with a right-handed punch at Kennedy's belly, immediately shifted into a sweeping elbow from the left, stepped to the side slightly and brought her right knee up, and finished with a hard kick aimed at the other girl's knee.

Time to see just how much Kennedy would remember when the pressure was on.

[No problem! See you then!]

She remembered about half of it. Which wasn't bad, considering.

Kennedy managed to twist wildly out of the way of the first punch but took the elbow on the forearm that she flung up barely in time to avoid a hit to her jaw.

Centered. Centered. Stay centered.

She tried, anyway, and got a knee to the side for the trouble, which meant that jumping back from the kick to her knee had her stumbling backwards and nearly falling.

Her smile was a little bit closer to a grimace-- the blows Triela had landed weren't that painful under the circumstances, but she'd still be a bit sore for a while.

"That wasn't so bad."

"Not bad," Triela repeated in agreement. "You move well enough, and your balance is generally good. All you really need is more practice." A lot of it. "So that you don't have to think about what you're doing."

Triela needed the same thing, which is how she knew.

A lot of practice.

A lot. Of. Practice.

Triela was obviously good, which was why Kennedy's smile was both genuine and a little chagrined, the closest she could make herself come to saying thanks for the critique. "I've been training with pretty much one person most of my life. A month in Fandom, and I get the feeling that kind of screwed me over."

Triela snorted slightly in sympathy. "It's from fighting new people that you learn the most. Otherwise you don't learn general things, just how to beat that one person."

She'd made that mistake once.

Kennedy made a what can you do? face.

"I think I've learned more since being here than I learned in the last couple of years," she admitted. "She always holds back on me, too. Drives me up the wall."

"At least I never had that problem," Triela laughed. "And field experience helps a lot too. Until you really have to use your skills it's all just theoretical, you know?"

"Learning that real quick," Kennedy half muttered. "And we haven't gotten invaded by anything yet since I've been here."

The that is so not fair was unspoken but obvious.

"You sound disappointed," Triela snorted, definitely amused.

"It was a big selling point in coming here," Kennedy replied. "I'm not so much with the heavy resume in the field experience department, either. Kinda wanna fix that."

"That's fair," Triela nodded. "Well, knowing Fandom... it won't be too long before you get your wish."

"Sweet," Kennedy said with a full-on grin.

She might live to regret that.

"Let me know if that's still how you feel after your first invasion," Triela laughed.

Cocky little idiot that she was, Kennedy nodded and surreptitiously rubbed her forearm. "Totally will."

Triela couldn't help smiling just a bit. She remembered being like that. Now she was only half as stupid. Because she thought she was done with it.

"I'll look forward to that, then."

Behind the Dorms, Tuesday After Classes

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