Ky followed him, tightening the straps on her armor as she walked. It somehow made her feel more secure and more trapped at the exact same time. But mostly more secure. Her protection. She tugged it even tighter.
"u and rina are systematically watering down the grammar of yws" - Atticus "From the fish mother to the fish death god." - lehmanf "A fish stole my identity. I blame shady" - Omni [they/he]
He stepped out into the main area, then headed outside. He was already wearing mail and a soft tabard over a quilted vest, complete with a warm fur cloak. "Right. Take a stance; we'll start slow."
The man from near the gate had come to the sparring area and was leaning on the outside of the fence, watching in silence. He was about thirty years old, and up close there was an ugly scar running from the side of his left eye down to his cheek.
"The Imperial need for control is so desperate because it is so unnatural. Tyranny requires constant effort. It breaks, it leaks. Authority is brittle. Oppression is the mask of fear. Remember that." -Karis Nemik
Ky eyed him as she climbed into the ring, not sure whether she should acknowledge him again or not. On one hand, it felt rude not to greet him. On the other, Captain Bay didn't seem to notice the man, which made her doubt herself about whether the man was a human or a ghost. And she damn sure didn't want her new trainer thinking her insane. Best risk being called rude to being called a liar. Or worse.
She turned towards Bay, rolling her shoulders to loosen them, then assumed a defensive pose Ka'Nor taught her that she'd practiced enough to feel somewhat confident in. Though she wasn't confident at all right now. On the contrary, she very much felt like she was on the cusp of humiliation and her face already felt warm in anticipation. "Ready."
"u and rina are systematically watering down the grammar of yws" - Atticus "From the fish mother to the fish death god." - lehmanf "A fish stole my identity. I blame shady" - Omni [they/he]
Bay came at her, moving at a fraction of a standard pace.
"The Imperial need for control is so desperate because it is so unnatural. Tyranny requires constant effort. It breaks, it leaks. Authority is brittle. Oppression is the mask of fear. Remember that." -Karis Nemik
Ky was grateful. She had no doubt it'd get faster and harder and she'd end up as bruised as she always was after a lesson, but at least he didn't come out of the gates at full force. She blocked the blow fairly easily, being careful of her form.
"u and rina are systematically watering down the grammar of yws" - Atticus "From the fish mother to the fish death god." - lehmanf "A fish stole my identity. I blame shady" - Omni [they/he]
He came at her again, at the same pace. "Watch your feet," he advised. "Keep your weight light and be ready to dodge. Ideally there should be no contact at all unless you initiate it."
"The Imperial need for control is so desperate because it is so unnatural. Tyranny requires constant effort. It breaks, it leaks. Authority is brittle. Oppression is the mask of fear. Remember that." -Karis Nemik
"Oh." She blocked his blow as she processed his instructions, then nodded, shifting her weight so that she was more on the balls of her feet rather than planted in place.
"u and rina are systematically watering down the grammar of yws" - Atticus "From the fish mother to the fish death god." - lehmanf "A fish stole my identity. I blame shady" - Omni [they/he]
"The Imperial need for control is so desperate because it is so unnatural. Tyranny requires constant effort. It breaks, it leaks. Authority is brittle. Oppression is the mask of fear. Remember that." -Karis Nemik
This time she hopped backward out of reach, though she kept her sword raised in case he made a quick follow up.
"u and rina are systematically watering down the grammar of yws" - Atticus "From the fish mother to the fish death god." - lehmanf "A fish stole my identity. I blame shady" - Omni [they/he]
"The Imperial need for control is so desperate because it is so unnatural. Tyranny requires constant effort. It breaks, it leaks. Authority is brittle. Oppression is the mask of fear. Remember that." -Karis Nemik
She hesitated. This was exactly what she'd asked for -- and yet she had no idea what to do now. It was one thing to try to anticipate someone swinging at you. It was an entirely different matter to figure out what angle and force and footing you needed to go on the offensive.
Still, she'd learned at this point that swordsmanship worked best when she tried and got corrected, rather than asking a million questions to start. So she stepped forward with an awkward swing at his left shoulder. It took more effort than she'd expected to swing the sword, and the momentum pulled her off balance.
(He's welcome to land whatever blows would be in character for him ^^ obvi don't like seriously hurt her but feel free to whack her as much as you like haha)
"u and rina are systematically watering down the grammar of yws" - Atticus "From the fish mother to the fish death god." - lehmanf "A fish stole my identity. I blame shady" - Omni [they/he]
He sidestepped it easily and batted at her side with his sword, landing a blow that was solid but not painful.
"The Imperial need for control is so desperate because it is so unnatural. Tyranny requires constant effort. It breaks, it leaks. Authority is brittle. Oppression is the mask of fear. Remember that." -Karis Nemik
Well that clearly wasn't right. How was she supposed to protect her side when she was swinging the sword? She didn't know.
She tried another swing, this one more metered, but still leaving defenses wide open.
"u and rina are systematically watering down the grammar of yws" - Atticus "From the fish mother to the fish death god." - lehmanf "A fish stole my identity. I blame shady" - Omni [they/he]
"Anticipate," he advised. "Watch my movements, my eyes. See where my weight is." He made another move after dodging her.
"The Imperial need for control is so desperate because it is so unnatural. Tyranny requires constant effort. It breaks, it leaks. Authority is brittle. Oppression is the mask of fear. Remember that." -Karis Nemik
Between trying to watch his eyes and his feet at the same time, her brain got itself jumbled up trying to remember what to do. So she ended up taking a clumsy stumbled step backward and belatedly raising her sword, missing his sword entirely. She cringed at her own embarrassment and quickly stepped back a few steps, trying to give herself space to figure things out before he came at her again.
"u and rina are systematically watering down the grammar of yws" - Atticus "From the fish mother to the fish death god." - lehmanf "A fish stole my identity. I blame shady" - Omni [they/he]
