No experiment is too dangerous! That's science!
Ayami
414
POSTS
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17
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Female
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Robosexual
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Elfen
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971PL
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12,525z
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330 Dragon Coins
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Living Tide
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Played by Ray
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Administrator
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Post by Ayami on Feb 2, 2021 17:30:25 GMT
Aya gave a nod and the competition began. Obviously her first move was blocking the saiyan's attempts to splash her, it would have been a mistake not to do so. However that was when the albino went on the defensive! She was...Blocking cups instead of trying to grab them?! It certainly worked at first as Atsuko blocked every attempt Aya had made to splash. Yes it was working swimmingly! ... Up until Aya faked the knight out by reaching for a cup and then immediately grabbing the one right next to it as the saiyan chose to block the first cup, fully taking the old woman's bluff. Within the blink of an eye the matriarch splashed Atsuko in a swift sweeping motion."Going on the defensive may work against weaker opponents but a clever foe can break through even a mountain of strength. You must capitalize on openings! A perfect mixture of defense and offense is the key. A war of attrition will not always end in your favor. Try again!"Aya prepared herself once more, giving a nod as soon as Atsuko was ready. The elder wasted no time in rushing in, grabbing cups at lightning fast speeds and blocking any of the saiyan's grabs should she go for any at all. Oh to the untrained eye her movements might have seemed erratic, but Aya moved with a planned grace each time she grabbed, every time she blocked. It was all in an effort to remain one step ahead of her opponent. It was something she wanted to impart on these three students. Sometimes to defeat the unbeatable you had to be ahead of them at all times. It was a long journey ahead but she hoped her teachings would shine through by example.Meanwhile Ayami stood on the sidelines simply watching it all unfold. She leaned closer to Tomina, never keeping her eyes off of the match but still speaking with the half-breed as the water elfen dried her hair with the towel."I haven't seen Gramma this fired up in years!"The inventor grinned, it really had been so long since her grandmother was like this. That spark in her eye...Despite how on the fence she was, it was clear Aya was hoping for something like this to happen. For three people just like her to desire training underneath her watchful eye. Ayami likely wasn't the only one who could see it either. Even though Aya's words and posture were stern like a stalwart master, there was something about her right now that was vastly different from the old woman who had offered them tea just mere moments ago."Going on the defensive huh...It's a good strategy but Gramma doesn't make mistakes. At least...None that I've seen! Usually she lets her most trusted students be the opponent in this game, and I can beat all of em! But...I've never once beaten Gramma. I don't even know if it's possible honestly! You'd have to be thinking two steps ahead!"Her words acted as a strategy for both Tomina and Atsuko. With any hope the sisters would take those words to heart."Looks like you're next though Mina! I hope you're taking in everything as much as you can! This one's always a fun exercise! It's probably my favorite 'cause it's not painful!""'Cause it's not painful" were words uttered that unintentionally brought tension into the room...If this was the only one that wasn't physically painful then just what the hell were the next teachings going to be like?! Ayami really spoke without thinking sometimes...But she continued grinning as if nothing was wrong!"Hey...Mina? Are you sure you're alright though? You looked really pale back there in the tea room. If something's the matter I wanna help you! Gramma always tells me that a sound body can only be achieved through a sound mind and...I think that's pretty true! If you're not comfortable talking about it here in front of everyone then you can come see me tonight when everyone else is asleep! I'm planning on getting a head start on some important projects at my workshop anyway so I'll leave the door unlocked!"She placed a gentle but reassuring hand on the half-breed's shoulder, giving her a soft, warm smile. She considered Tomina a friend already, even if they had only just met. What Aya had said about Tomina was something she agreed with. Tomina clearly didn't like hurting people and that made her alright in the inventor's book. Atsuko Tomina
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"Rumia, please. I'm trying to train."
Atsuko
419
POSTS
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18
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Female
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Lesbian
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Saiyan
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579 PL
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5,034z
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109 Dragon Coins
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Albino Saiyan
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Played by Amord
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Administrator
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Post by Atsuko on Feb 2, 2021 17:42:40 GMT
Atsuko ended up making a mistake; honestly it was probably something she should have predicted, but focusing solely on defense left her open to a feint attack. Aya had gotten a victory over her in that round pretty well. Fortunately, a failure here didn't mean anything bad. The Saiyan's pride was lightly wounded, but... More than that... " Ha! I asked for that one." She was getting fired up in her own way. It wasn't very often that the Knight could actually face down someone stronger than she was. She could see how this training was going to help quite a lot, too. Eventually, the second round begins and the Saiyan starts on the defensive like before. However, she had a plan this time. After hopefully getting Aya into a groove, she would suddenly shift from pure defense to pure offense, two hands going for two cups! She planned for her opponent to take the bait here.
Block both cups? Then you sacrificed counterattack. This was a feint of her own, because she'd quickly adjust her aim and snatch two different cups and go for a splash from each! If Aya didn't take the bait, then it was a matter of who hit the other first. So she'd just go for the easiest to reach and go for that attack!
The Albino Saiyan tried not to get caught up on thinking about her moves. If she did that, her flow would be interrupted. She needed to maintain as smooth a transition as possible. While she may not be as graceful as Aya by comparison, she was certainly not a complete amateur incapable of such maneuvers.
Of course, only time would tell if she actually succeeded or not." You were right about a war of attrition... It was my mistake to assume that I would always have the means to outlast my opponent. So I'll start getting serious now!" , she'd state, either if her attack was successful, or if she had gotten blindsided by Aya again and the second round was over.
Either way... She was taking it in stride, keeping pace towards improving herself, somehow and some way. Ayami Tomina
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"Interesting. Come at me!"
Tomina
291
POSTS
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18
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Female
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Bisexual
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Hybrid
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445PL
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56,483Z
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208 Dragon Coins
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The Wild Flash Fire
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Played by Nothost
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Senior Member
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Post by Tomina on Feb 2, 2021 20:16:56 GMT
“Annnnnd there it is. That went about as well as I expected.”
Tomina mused, watching as Atsuko got splashed. She was using the others as guinea pigs for when she would have to go up. But looking at it now, she didn’t think she’d be able to outwit the old woman. She was fast and had a lot of experience. She couldn’t think of anything to overcome that. At least within the rules of this particular exercise. Going around those rules would defeat the whole purpose of the training. She looked over at Ayami as she commented on her grandma.
“And to think that she was against training us at first. She’s certainly changed her tune quickly.”
Tomina folded her arms, watching Aya school Atsuko. Ayami wasn’t just bragging about her grandma’s abilities aimlessly. It was definitely well warranted, with how fluid her movements were. She was simultaneously looking forward to and dreading her turn. She didn’t like water, and she was going to get soaked by the end of this.
“No one is unbeatable. But your grandma has as many advantages as a dealer at a casino. Even if she didn’t invent this exercise, she’s probably done it far longer than anyone else. She has the experience and is still really fast. But she’s still human like the rest of us. I doubt I’ll be beating her today. But I’m going to try regardless.”
Tomina raised an eyebrow at Ayami’s comment about painful exercises. She expected that part of her training would put her through the wringer. That was different than actually hearing that she was going to go through pain. It wasn’t anything that was going to change her mind or make her hesitate though. She had no right to fear pain after all. Her face hardened when Ayami reminded her of why that was.
“A sound mind huh? It sounds simple to achieve. And yet most people struggle with their inner demons.”
Tomina sighed, then looked over at Ayami. “It’s alright, I’m fine. I don’t really deserve a sound mind, not with what I did.”
Tomina looked back at the sparring going on between Atsuko and Aya, pressing her palms against the floor and leaning back. “I’ll take you up on that. You’ll probably wish you had locked the door though.”
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No experiment is too dangerous! That's science!
Ayami
414
POSTS
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17
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Female
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Robosexual
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Elfen
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971PL
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12,525z
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330 Dragon Coins
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Living Tide
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Played by Ray
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Administrator
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Post by Ayami on Feb 2, 2021 22:36:30 GMT
Aya was right back into her groove of remaining one step ahead of the albino knight. She followed along as Atsuko kept on the defensive, however...She had suspected something was up. A diligent warrior like this girl would not simply blindly repeat the same mistake twice after being informed of her flaw. Especially after saying that she "Had that coming". A glint in Aya's eye revealed her swiftness of thinking! The moment Atsuko went on the offense the matriarch grabbed the cup directly in front of her and immediately splashed the albino saiyan in the face in one swift motion!"A clever feint. Unfortunately you telegraphed your plan long before we even started. Even if you had not revealed your plan however, the opening you left was as wide as a fissure in a mountain. You have to think ahead of your opponent. Try to get inside my mind. Don't just think, feel. Feel the waves of the air from my motions. They are distinct and reveal my very next action. Try Once again."The old woman closed her eyes this time just to illustrate her point about "feeling motion". She gave a slow nod once Atsuko was ready, motioning that the matriarch was ready to begin the next round. perhaps to the shock of the knight, Aya was going to challenge her with her eyes closed. The old woman took a deep, slow breath. She shut out the thoughts in her mind and began to focus only on the sounds of movement and the air hitting her skin. She allowed Atsuko to take the lead on this round, it was all to make a point. All to assist in teaching the holy knight - And by extension, the other two as well.Ayami rubbed the back of her neck as she listened to Tomina speak. It was true Aya had been hesitant to train them at first, but it wasn't quite that simple..."Well...Gramma's a bit of an enigma. She hates seeing kids get in serious situations like this so...I guess she's always a little hesitant to just let us go walking into hell."The water elfen chuckled as Tomina complimented her grandmother, it was true that Aya wasn't unbeatable...But she hadn't invented this exercise."Nope! Our patron deity invented it! Our ancestors were the first ones to master the training. Can you believe my Gramma's dad was even better at this than she is now? I never got to meet him but I bet he was incredible! Still...I guess you're right, she's not invincible, we've just gotta get the drop on her!"A sound mind was easier said than actually achieved...That much was hard to deny, the young inventor struggled with her own bad memories at times, though not quite as harsh as the halfbreed had gone through, they still troubled her mind in her most isolated moments...But it was still none the less a good argument. The elfen could only let out a small chuckle once again as Tomina said her rather serious statement about how she would "Wish she locked her door"...Oh, Ayami wasn't laughing at her. She was just doing her best to help lighten the fire elfen's mood."I'll be the judge of that! You just come by! You'll get to see my workshop before your sister too!" Atsuko Tomina
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"Rumia, please. I'm trying to train."
Atsuko
419
POSTS
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18
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Female
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Lesbian
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Saiyan
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579 PL
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5,034z
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109 Dragon Coins
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Albino Saiyan
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Played by Amord
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Administrator
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Post by Atsuko on Feb 2, 2021 23:00:52 GMT
Damn, not only was her feint called, but Aya completely outmaneuvered the Knight. Atsuko can only sigh, she was doing her best to come up with some strategy that could get her through this, but there was such a huge difference in their skills. Still, she had one round left, so she wasn't out of it yet. She also listened intently as the master began to impart a lesson to the Albino Saiyan about how to proceed.
So a part of this was about 'feeling'... This actually made sense to the Saiyan, as she had some experience with meditation, and the benefits it brought. Although this was more than just meditation, this was training yourself to be able to use those enhanced senses all the time, in the flow of battle itself. " I see... I'll do my best to absorb your teachings." This time around, she was given the chance to lead. Most outlandish was the fact that Aya had closed her eyes. Atsuko knew better than to think it would give her an advantage. If she wanted to have a chance of pulling this off, she'd have to do something that was unexpected, and difficult to counter. She starts by reaching for a cup, she anticipated the block, thus making this move a feint.
She reaches over with her other hand to block the cup that Aya grabs at. In this awkward position she reaches under her arm with the other, and grabs a cup and attempts to splash it at her opponent! This would, in all honesty, probably be the shortest round thus far, but it was the most complicated move that Atsuko had taken yet. How successful it was remained to be seen.
If her attack was blocked, then she had to react quickly -- not think. In the short span of time allotted to her, she tried to focus on the shifts in the air when Aya made her move. The only problem was that the speed difference was massive, especially considering that she didn't have a complete handle on the technique yet.
But there was one thing to take away from this, success or failure, she was far from done when it came to improving herself. She wasn't completely helpless, even if she didn't make it to blocking any counterattacks in her opening, she still made the attempt and came close enough to note the progress. Ayami Tomina
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"Interesting. Come at me!"
Tomina
291
POSTS
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18
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Female
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Bisexual
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Hybrid
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445PL
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56,483Z
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208 Dragon Coins
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The Wild Flash Fire
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Played by Nothost
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Senior Member
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Post by Tomina on Feb 2, 2021 23:54:25 GMT
"Hell huh... Even if the training does get harsh, can you call it that? If someone was resolved enough, they'd probably drop out on their own accord once the going got tough. But it's nice that your grandma thinks about the wellbeing of potential students."
Tomina sweatdropped when she heard that Aya wasn't even the best person to use this training method. Damn, no wonder she was this good. "I guess you can't good at this without getting drenched in tea."
Tomina chuckled, watching as Atsuko tried to employ more strategies to try and outwit Aya. It looked to be entirely in vain. But there was no way to get better if you didn't try to overcome the difficulty. Tomina looked over at Ayami in surprise as she still insisted on meeting her. She gave the inventor a slight smile.
"I'm honored. But I have the feeling I should be wary over you being the one to preside over my case." Tomina teased.
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No experiment is too dangerous! That's science!
Ayami
414
POSTS
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17
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Female
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Robosexual
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Elfen
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971PL
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12,525z
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330 Dragon Coins
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Living Tide
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Played by Ray
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Administrator
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Post by Ayami on Feb 3, 2021 0:41:08 GMT
"I trust you will understand in time, even if you don't now."She had a lot of confidence in her students. Their failure here was not a failure of learning. They only failed because they had not yet fully grasped. But failure was a teaching tool, not to be ashamed of. The matriarch intended to show them this by forcing their hand as many times as it took. The skill Aya was now using was an art passed down through her family, and one that was not exclusive to their use either. It was one that she hoped the trio would grasp sufficiently by the end of these teachings.In this round, with her eyes closed, Aya's movements had slowed...It was a very faint difference, but it was enough that if one tried hard they could get the upper hand. ... Unfortunately for Atsuko though she fought hard Aya's hearing and feeling was heightened in this moment. The old woman inhaled and held it as the albino saiyan performed a feint. In that instant it was like a string being pulled tight and snapping within the elderly woman's mind."I see it!"As Atsuko reached under her arm with the other to grab for a cup to splash Aya with, the unthinkable happens...The old woman rushes to that cup with her free hand and grips it tightly, thrusting it upward in one swift motion to splash the dutiful knight once more. She had managed to read the albino's feint without even seeing it with her own eyes?! Finally with the match over, the matriarch exhales, slowly opening her eyes once more.Ayami gave the halfling a nod as she watched Aya finish her final round against Atsuko."That's true. I think it's less that and more...She knows if we go and get hurt then she's responsible for leading us to that."The cup game wasn't mastered without getting wet...She supposed that was true thinking back to her childhood!"You won't believe how many hundreds of times I've lost at this before I got good! You'll make it too, you just gotta keep it up."The old woman bows to Atsuko before speaking up."Do not feel ashamed. Someone of lesser skill would have been caught off guard by that move. Your failure allows you to learn from me, never forget this fact. I believe next is...You, the passionate one."Aya reached under the table and grabbed a towel, handing it to the Albino knight and pointing at Tomina with a free hand."I hope you've been paying attention, although if it takes you some time don't feel bad. Even my Granddaughter has yet to beat me at this cup game."Ayami smiles and pats Tomina on the back!"We'll talk more later! It's your time to shine! Get in there and show Gramma what you've got!"Aya waits for Tomina to step up to the proverbial plate, wiping the table clean as she did so."Once you've finished, whether you claim victory or only find defeat, I have something very important to impart on all of you." Atsuko Tomina
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"Rumia, please. I'm trying to train."
Atsuko
419
POSTS
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18
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Female
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Lesbian
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Saiyan
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579 PL
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5,034z
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109 Dragon Coins
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Albino Saiyan
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Played by Amord
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Administrator
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Post by Atsuko on Feb 3, 2021 0:59:54 GMT
Atsuko was definitely improving, that there was no denial of. But to say that she was improving enough to catch up to Aya? Well... Not so much. Honestly, the Saiyan wasn't even fully capable of processing what just happened. She tried to throw off her opponent, anticipate the actions, and cover her tracks while going for the counter. It was like the old woman was able to read all of that like an open book and disarm her in the process, striking her down with her own weapon.
Naturally, it wasn't quite that dramatic, it was just tea being splashed. But it revealed just how much of a gap there was. It wasn't just a matter of speed or power. That would certainly make it easier to keep up with Aya, but it wouldn't be enough to secure a win. Not without an overwhelming advantage, which was just a brute force method. No, this was the insight to an incredible technique that, if the Knight was able to grasp, would be indispensable for her future endeavors.
Still, the sting of defeat weighs on her. Saiyan Pride isn't something you can entirely ignore. She sighs heavily, but soon stands and bows out of respect for a superior opponent. " Thank you for showing me such an incredible skill. I'll do my best to follow in your footsteps." With that, she straightens out and steps back onto the sidelines, grabbing a towel and drying off in the process. " I don't think I've ever had such a hard time keeping up with someone else before." She admits, now speaking to Ayami. " But I can see what she's trying to do, too." , she then adds.
With that, the Knight turns her attention back to the table. She was eager to see how Tomina would do in this, but another part of her wanted to just be able to focus entirely on Aya's movements. Try to get a feel for HOW she was moving like that. The pieces were there, but Atsuko needed to start arranging them the right way to really figure it out. Ayami Tomina
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"Interesting. Come at me!"
Tomina
291
POSTS
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18
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Female
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Bisexual
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Hybrid
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445PL
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56,483Z
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208 Dragon Coins
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The Wild Flash Fire
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Played by Nothost
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Senior Member
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Post by Tomina on Feb 3, 2021 3:18:49 GMT
“That’s the responsible way to view it. But at the end of the day, it was our choice to make. She shouldn’t blame herself if it goes wrong. But I’m glad she views it the way she does. I wouldn’t want to learn under someone who recklessly teaches dangerous techniques to just anyone.”
Tomina passed Atsuko on the way to the table and sat opposite Aya. She had observed her for a while. It seemed like the old woman was fond of reacting to the opponent’s movements. While the exercise happened at insanely fast speeds, Tomina had noticed one key thing. Aya never splashed her opponent simply by being faster. It was always in response to some kind of movement that left her opponent open. The only thing that she could think to do was to throw her off her guard. And that meant going very off script compared to most people. So what was her plan? Doing next to nothing.
Oh, Tomina tensed up. She gazed into the eyes of the old woman intensely. But a full minute passed with nothing happening. Then she slowly placed one of her hands onto the top of the table, near the edge. She then slid it forward a foot every 20 seconds. Tomina was fully prepared to lose the first round. She needed to know one more thing. How close would she be able to get her hand to a cup before Aya reacted? She needed to know the other woman’s comfort zone. That was key for the later rounds.
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No experiment is too dangerous! That's science!
Ayami
414
POSTS
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17
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Female
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Robosexual
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Elfen
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971PL
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12,525z
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330 Dragon Coins
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Living Tide
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Played by Ray
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Administrator
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Post by Ayami on Feb 3, 2021 20:47:24 GMT
As Tomina spoke her "parting" words the water elfen listened carefully, and took those words to heart. It was a set of words she remembered carefully...Even if those words might not have held the same weight for the halfling who uttered them.The matriarch looked up at Atsuko as the albino stood from the table. She promised to "Do her best"...But that wasn't good was it? No there was clearly some doubt in those words! The old woman did her best to provide words that were stern, commanding, perhaps even forceful... ... But words none the less that were clearly uttered for the sake of her students."You will do your best yes. You three will all be doing your best because I will ensure that by the time you leave here that you will have gained a new skill and trained it to an efficient level."Aya smiled at the knight as she stepped aside. Next was...Tomina. The firey ball of passion. The one who hadn't the same experience the other two did, but who clearly still had a drive to match them - Perhaps even surpass them in some regards. The elderly matriarch bowed as Tomina sat down in front of her."And so the final of the three students sits before me ready to take the same challenge. You may be the last but you are certainly not the least. No matter what happens here you shouldn't look at a loss as something to carry in shame. And if you succeed? Then that is all the better."Aya gave a nod signaling that the challenge was beginning. And then...
Nothing. Nothing was happening whatsoever. Tomina sat completely still, only occasionally moving forward. Aya met this odd...Strategy by doing nothing as well. She sat in silence, never breaking her sight on Tomina's own eyes. However, she did inhale...And hold it in. It was a slow, silent breath as Tomina simply sat, trying to "size up" her opponent. It was so different compared to the last six matches. The old woman waited silently for Tomina to make a move. She KNEW the fire user was up to something...But she wasn't sure what exactly that something was. It was clear however that this match was going to continue in silence until the half-blood did something first.Ayami grinned and gave Atsuko a pat on the back."That's my Gramma for you! She's earned the reputation she has! People in the southern islands who know about her just call her "The Serpent of the South Seas"! You'll get better at it!"The water elfen simply chuckled, glad to see that Atsuko was finally picking up on it. ... Although she had to admit, the whole "Eyes closed" thing was a new one for her. In all her years training under Aya, the inventor had not once witnessed something THAT bold..."She's not even revealed all her secrets to me, so...I gotta admit, this is the first time I'm seeing it."Although...The elfen inventor rubbed the back of her head awkwardly as she watched the two opponents doing...Absolutely nothing. The air was getting PRETTY tense..."Hey uh...Mina? When she nods her head that means you can start." Atsuko Tomina
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"Rumia, please. I'm trying to train."
Atsuko
419
POSTS
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18
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Female
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Lesbian
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Saiyan
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579 PL
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5,034z
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109 Dragon Coins
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Albino Saiyan
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Played by Amord
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Administrator
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Post by Atsuko on Feb 3, 2021 21:05:55 GMT
Well, it was certainly hard to deny that Aya was doing her best not to simply break her students down and leave them that way. Though the Saiyan didn't like defeat, it did cause a fire to burn in her. She was determined to start doing better. Even if it meant that she had to put in the kind of work that would break any normal person by comparison. The Knight gives a respectful nod to her words.
She can't help but smile as Ayami then chimes in. " A serpent on such a level does seem an accurate way to describe her. I've only ever dealt with one other person that could pull off feats as easily as she can. She was the one that taught me everything I know now, too." That did give her the thought of what it might be like for the two to compete against each other... But it's not like they would do that sort of thing lightly either. While she couldn't speak to any potential competitive spirit that Aya may or may not have, Micaela was very deliberate with when she used her powers.
Either way... This match was now the focus. Because it was so drastically different from the ones that came before it. She half expected the old woman to have acted by now. But instead, the two were just... Squaring off with each other. The Elfen commented that the nod of the head means that they can start, and that prompts the Saiyan to comment." She's already started. She's trying to learn as much about Aya as she can." , she whispers to Ayami, and then points out the subtle movements being made by Tomina. " I've been paying attention to both of them, since it's not high speeds right now." The Knight quietly explains, then falling silent as she stares at the pair. Aya was taking a deep breath and simply holding it... Even before she closed her eyes, was this how the master performed so well against her opponents, by relying on pure reaction?
Atsuko doubted that being entirely the case, but then... There was the moment where she closed her eyes too. The Albino Saiyan quietly wondered how she might begin training herself to enhance her other senses to the same degree. Ayami Tomina
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"Interesting. Come at me!"
Tomina
291
POSTS
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18
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Female
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Bisexual
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Hybrid
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445PL
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56,483Z
|
208 Dragon Coins
|
The Wild Flash Fire
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Played by Nothost
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Senior Member
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Post by Tomina on Feb 3, 2021 23:43:10 GMT
Tomina did her best to ignore Ayami's criticism. Instead, she continued inching her hand forward in incriminates. She made it go halfway across the table, within striking distance of a cup before stopping. She looked into Aya's eyes, seeing if she was going to make any kind of reaction. Would she go off script and strike first? Or would she continue to let Tomina gain ground?
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No experiment is too dangerous! That's science!
Ayami
414
POSTS
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17
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Female
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Robosexual
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Elfen
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971PL
|
12,525z
|
330 Dragon Coins
|
Living Tide
|
Played by Ray
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Administrator
|
Post by Ayami on Feb 4, 2021 1:12:37 GMT
Aya sat silently as Tomina continued her ploy. Even as Tomina was within striking distance of a cup Aya sat quietly without ever uttering a word. Her hands were under the table, clearly putting her at risk in this situation. The Matriarch finally figured it out. She finally realized what Tomina was trying to accomplish. It was unclear at first, but the longer this went on the more obvious it became. The hybrid wasn't just trying to screw around, she was trying to figure out what the old woman would do, what her limits were, how she worked. It was...An ingenious plan. Aya shut her eyes tightly so that the fire user couldn't gaze into them, and then something strange happened...
Aya began to rapidly move cups around, starting with the one Tomina was reaching for. She didn't splash the halfling. No, no, the elderly woman was just moving every single cup, shuffling them. She was vying to throw Tomina off her game by overwhelming her. All the while it was clear that at any moment Aya could launch a torrent of cold tea right at the girl who challenged her. She had essentially "locked" Tomina out of acting for risk of failure, provided such a thing was even a concern. At the same time it was entirely different from how she was playing the last few times. She was attempting to make Tomina believe she was running an entirely new strategy.Ayami looked over to Atsuko with surprise. She stepped closer, grinning from ear to ear."Someone just like Gramma?! Who are they?! You trained under them?! That's rad!!! You gotta tell me more!"Trying to learn more? ... After Atsuko said as much it clicked. Tomina had been watching closely the whole time, it was clear she was trying to see details in a closer, much slower way. Ayami was definitely impressed after taking notice of this...Tomina didn't have training like they did, did she? So if that were the case it seemed she was compensating for this fact by trying to get an airtight read on the elderly matriarch. It was an idea the water elfen elected to remember...It could definitely come in handy at some point just stopping and paying attention to your opponent. Especially if they were less skilled than a master like Aya. Atsuko Tomina
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"Rumia, please. I'm trying to train."
Atsuko
419
POSTS
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18
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Female
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Lesbian
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Saiyan
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579 PL
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5,034z
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109 Dragon Coins
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Albino Saiyan
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Played by Amord
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Administrator
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Post by Atsuko on Feb 4, 2021 1:40:09 GMT
For now, it seems as though the match was in a bit of a standstill, with Aya trying to figure out exactly what Tomina was up to, and Tomina just testing the waters to see what Aya would end up doing. Because of that, Atsuko didn't feel bad about using some of her focus to listen to and respond to Ayami." Haha, relax. It's my adoptive mother, Micaela Inoue." , she replies. " I'll take you to meet her sometime, only seems fair since you brought me to your home." , she then adds. The Knight wondered what the two would think of the Monastery, though... It was pretty far up north, and it was pretty damn cold. Frequently outsiders weren't able to deal with the harsh environment all that well. But she'd take the time to prepare them when it was actually time to go, too.
Still, before she could elaborate on any of that vocally, she gestures to the match taking place. Because the tense atmosphere seemed to be reaching it's peak now. Not long after that, Aya suddenly springs into action, shuffling the cups around while making it clear that her attack could come at any moment. With the sheer speed being shown here, it was clear that she could have ended this round at any time.
An actual "blink and you'll miss it" moment. Instead, she didn't. Likely because the master wanted to see how the Hybrid would react to the pressure. Acting recklessly would cause immediate failure. So, that left the question of how Tomina was going to act now that the battlefield had changed so suddenly." She did manage to provoke a different reaction out of Aya. But now there's no telling how it plays out from here..." , the Saiyan comments just quiet enough for Ayami to hear, but not so loud as to disturb the focus of the two currently locked in "combat." Ayami Tomina
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"Interesting. Come at me!"
Tomina
291
POSTS
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18
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Female
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Bisexual
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Hybrid
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445PL
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56,483Z
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208 Dragon Coins
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The Wild Flash Fire
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Played by Nothost
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Senior Member
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Post by Tomina on Feb 4, 2021 19:06:52 GMT
Tomina froze, her eyes widening as Aya began shuffling the cups around. Aya’s movements were lighting fast. Tomina had a panicked look on her face, like a deer caught in the headlights. Suddenly all her planning went out the window, and instinct took over. She tried to use one hand to block Aya’s movements while reaching for a cup that wasn’t near Aya’s hand. However this was likely doomed from the start: Tomina had tossed aside a solid plan for improvisation.
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