The Gym / Wednesday, August 4 / Morning

[azuldragon.livejournal.com]

It was early in the morning, the sun was just creeping up as Azula entered the gym. She went to the mats and stretched, she was feeling restless but mother wasn't making an appearance and Azula felt better for it.

Today was a perfect day for some light sparring.


(Expecting one but open gym is open!)

Comments

[azuldragon.livejournal.com]

Azula saw the elbow coming at the corner of her eye, she moved her head a bit but Dinah's elbow landed a glancing blow to her jaw and her head snapped back and she tasted blood.

She licked her lip. "Heh." Then because she was close enough to Dinah she smashed her head against Dinah's. Azula has a very hard head.

"I think guarding me is adventurous enough but I approve of driving off cliffs. We must do that sometime."

Yes, she was making a point by speaking without breathing too hard.

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

"Agh." A cut-off grunt of pain, but man, that one was going to leave a bruise. Dinah had already known Azula was hard-headed, she didn't need that much confirmation!

Seeing stars, she tried to hook one foot behind Azula's ankle and yank, centering herself low and unmoving.

"Well, I enjoyed it, when I visited Karla's world... of course, they have dragons to do it with."

[azuldragon.livejournal.com]

Azula went slack, if she was going down, she was going to take Dinah with her and maybe hit her on the face a little too.

"I didn't see any dragons when I visited her world, I'd have like to see one. They're extinct in mine."

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

"They were awesome... ack!"

Dinah hit the mat next to Azula and rolled, wincing as she stretched the side that Azula had just hit. Flow, flow, and speed -- more rolling and then she was up, panting for breath and annoyed that Azula wasn't. Breeeeathe.

Okay, re-think this, where was a good place to start another attack?

[azuldragon.livejournal.com]

"Maybe I could see a dragon one day."

Azula rolled away but didn't stand, she remained crouching, looking up at Dinah with a frown. "I'm pretty sure I taught you something about breathing, didn't I? It's imperative you take the lessons to heart or else your enemy will take advantage or just outlast you."

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

Dinah refrained from rolling her eyes, because yes, Azula had taught her that. She just hadn't had to use it in a while; all the wrong sorts of fights. Another breath, re-centering and loosening up again, and she said, "Yes, you did. I'm trying to pass that along to Momoko. As well as a few other things."

Circling. Left, right, grinning, and then feinting to the right super-fast, hoping Azula would fall for it.

[azuldragon.livejournal.com]

"A student of a student, I'm honored. Maybe I could teach Momoko personally. I like her." Azula eyed Dinah's movements she rose to her feet, exploding into motion, jumping away from Dinah refusing to play her game.

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

Darnit. Azula was just too good at reading body language to fall for most tricks. Dinah set a course to intercept, so to speak; trying to make her movements loose and flowing, like water-- and then the image of soundwaves came to her, and it sort seemed to help. A straight course, with power behind it, in waves.

"She'll need it when I leave. She's got to be able to handle people, as well as monsters, and she has trouble with that."

[azuldragon.livejournal.com]

Azula met her head on, very much approving of Dinah's flowing movements and felt the hit on her stomach. She grunted. "Do more of that."

In return Azula raised her knee and smashed it against Dinah's gut, borrowing from the Earthbender's philosophy on strength.

"I could teach her," she offered. "She seemed agile."

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

Breathe breath breathe and it helped, to have just been reminded of that just now, although it increased Dinah's desire to land more hits.

Another spin away and then spinning back, using stuff learned in sword fighting to increase her momentum. "Do it. Offer to teach her. She's taken one class, and she gets distracted. Frustrated. But she's better than she thinks she is."

[azuldragon.livejournal.com]

"That's better." She told Dinah seeing her work through the breathing she instructed. "Now, maybe you can land more substantial hits."

Azula danced in step with Dinah's motions, curious to see where she was going with this.

"And what kind of training do you think I should do to her?"

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

Lashing out with one hand to the shoulder, spin and last toward the funnybone on the other side. Arthur always said that if she practiced enough, she could start trusting her instincts.

"I'm afraid she'll meet someone stronger than her, and not know how to defend herself. She's so strong. But she doesn't want to hurt anyone. Bad combination." Dinah took a breath, diving past Azula again to pop up fast. "She needs to find balance with it."

[azuldragon.livejournal.com]

She deflected the first blow but somehow missed the second one and Azula sucked in a breath. Using her free arm, she turned into the move and elbowed Dinah.

"Look at you, talking like a sifu." Azula danced away after her strike. "I'll speak with Momoko."