[SECTOR V – SUNDOWN]
“Hello, Sector V,” he cast his eyes around, hard as hail, “And what time do we call this?”
Marina looked around blankly, checking her wrist (to no avail, she didn’t know how to read analog watches and digital watches were something she’d had no luck acquiring) and looking back up at Church with a furrowed brow. After a moment of thoughtful silence she brightly replied, “Pass!”
“12:17, schwester,” Klaus replied dryly. After some scolding, the datapad was passed around. Marina read through it with surprising speed and happily passed it on to her brother. Klaus looked through it with a sigh, “Tsk. Gottverdammt… I thought Omegas and Spectres would be the only troublemakers…” He then handed the datapad over to the next person.
“So… I don’t want to see any acrobatics on the way down, okay? You aren’t going to be able to maintain it. If you’re in trouble, call for me: Otherwise, keep it simple.”
Klaus listened to Church’s explanation aptly, nodding understandingly. He knew it’d be rough down there – He’d been there too, and Germany was barely better than London. Marina, however, didn’t remember what it was like down there; So while Klaus nodded in understanding, Marina simply puffed out her chest and grinned.
“A little air’s not gonna beat me, I’m the best there is!” Klaus sighed gently.
“Schwester, you really should be careful down there… Church is making a good point here, it’s no longer what we’re used to.” Marina simply pouted.
“A~lright, I’ll be careful.”
“Has… has anybody seen Acacia?”
Marina peered around curiously, “I was practicing with her earlier… She said she was gonna go to the med-bay!” As Klaus turned his head, a call of ”I’m sorry! was heard.
“Ah, there she is. Guten tag, frau Acacia.” Marina pumped her fist playfully.
“Yes! I’m not the only one late!” Klaus cleared his throat, and Marina rubbed her neck in apology, “Ahah, apologies.”
“Well, Church. Do you think we’re prepared to head off? Schwester und I are.”
[OMEGAS – TABITHA REYNARD]
Tabitha sat up in bed and yawned, promptly throwing the blankets off and getting to her feet. Usually, she was an early riser. Usually she was up early enough to see the blurry eyes of the younger Omegas, but today was an odd day. She showered in the regular fashion; quick and prompt, and then sat on her unmade bed to comb down her hair. It seemed particularly unruly today, but she eventually managed to comb it down. Getting back to her feet, her eyes caught sight of her usual attire – That black dominatrix gear, sat proudly on its hanger. But as she scanned it over carefully, an odd thought went through her head. A strange, foreign one she had rarely – if ever – heard.
”I don’t feel like wearing that.” Her brow slowly furrowed into a thoughtful frown.
”There’s not really a choice, is there? You have to wear something.”
“Yes. But I don’t want to wear that. not today.” Slowly she went over and opened the wardrobe her usual attire hung onto. The inside was bare, even barer than she remembered. It was strange, she recalled having a full wardrobe, once upon a time. But now there was just one outfit – A deep purple tracksuit.
”That thing looks gaudy.”
She took it out of the wardrobe.
”Who’s going to take a dominatrix in a tracksuit seriously?”
She slipped it off of the hanger.
”Come on, look at the colour. It matches your hair. Who wears a tracksuit that matches their hair?
She put on her underwear and placed the hanger back in the wardrobe.
”… You’re going to wear that no matter how much I complain, aren’t you?”
“Bingo.”
“You’re just… Impossible.”
She put her feet into the trousers, fit her arms through the sleeves and zipped the ensemble up. After a quick glance in the mirror, she put a pair of shoes on and left.
Through hearsay and questioning, Tabitha eventually found out Roark’s location, and within a fairly short time she had found the man himself, as well as his ‘student’, so to say. As she approached him she held up a hand in a short wave, “Hello, Roark. And you too, Rusiana,” She gave the Russian a glance and a quick nod of acknowledgement, “How goes the training? I must say, I have had quite an odd day so far. Everyone kept giving me odd glances, and asking if I was alright.”
Pumpkin Prince Member
Actually A Princess
- Last Seen: 9 yrs ago
- Old Guild Username: Pumpkin Prince
- Joined: 11 yrs ago
- Posts: 104 (0.03 / day)
- VMs: 0
-
Username history
- Pumpkin Prince 11 yrs ago
Status
User has no status, yet
Bio
User has no bio, yet
Most Recent Posts
Captain Jenno said
THIS IS ALL EMPATH'S FAULT.
Gosh, Megaman X was hard enough when he had working legs...
(the picture's absolutely amazing though)
Love the post, Jenno! I also love the datapad, you have a serious knack for making things like that!
Here's your dose of drug-addled Dutch madness, long overdue! Hope you all enjoy Aleta being... Aleta.
[SPECTERS – ALETA ARABELLA]
“Come on. Get inside,” A gun was pressed against Aleta’s back, but she could tell the fear in that simple action, the quavering of his voice. His confidence was just about all he had on her, because without that, he was more scared of her than she was of him. She was made to sit down, and her manacles were locked onto her arms. Normally she would struggle, but she was so elated she didn’t even care, didn’t even take advantage of the numerous weak points he exposed. He left cautiously, making sure not to turn his back on her. Despite his wariness, Aleta didn’t make a move as he shuffled out of the room – Once he was gone, a low chuckle slipped from Aleta’s throat.
“Eheh… Heh heh…” A wide, dementedly ecstatic grin filled her lips, “He said… He said I did a good job again…” In an instant her smile dropped. She perked up, glancing around as her brow folded into a frown, “You again. You just won’t leave me alone…” She grumbled, her knuckles somehow turning whiter as she clenched her fists tightly, “I thought I told you before.” The room was dark and still as usual, the only distinguishable sound being droplets of water from the roof. Despite the silence, the way she tilted her head made it seem as though she was listening to someone. She looked down, slowly closing her eyelids, “Lying, huh? You think I’m lying? Telling a fib? Speaking falsehoods, fabricating the truth leaving out details trying to mislead you only telling one side of the story” her voice started out slow, getting faster and faster before ending with a shriek of “WELL I’M NOT!” She took a second to catch her breath, before a toothy grin stretched out across her face. A low, dark snicker passed her lips, “Kehehehe… Just like a BITCH to deny the truth. Hiding like a scared little baby, closing out the world like a child in denial! Wake up jane, when are you going to remember that I killed you?!” Another grim snicker, her body trembling – Not out of fear, but out of joy, “Keheheh… I still remember it some days. It floods my senses; the smell of your blood, the feel of your cold skin, the sound of your dying gurgles… And that stupid face of yours. You looked surprised, didn’t you? You didn’t expect me. How could you? I could’ve slit your throat in an instant, you know. You should be thankful, I let you live a little longer!” Her eyes were wide open, her grin twitching slightly, “I let you see the lovely things I painted in your dirty, filthy blood. You know, it’s probably a good thing you never got to confess those FAKE feelings of yours…” Aleta’s shaking was beginning to rattle her chains, creating a low, ominous backing sound, “He wouldn’t have been as nice as me. Those beautiful legs of his make my knives look like butter knives. He wouldn’t have smiled, either. I gave you lots of smiles, didn’t I? I bet Gilligan would have cut you to shreds while giving you that cold, harsh…” Aleta began panting heavily, “Dark, malice-filled glare of his…! Haah, haaah…! Hahaha, you lucky bitch! What would he have said to you, if he even thought you were worth wasting breath on? ‘Go back to Babylon’, I bet! ‘A dirty Siren trying to tempt the hero’, that’s what he’d called you! Nothing but a temptress, a lowly WHORE!” Aleta had lunged forward, stopped short by her shackles, She slowly fell back against the wall, snickering even more, “Nothing but a myth. Most people here don’t remember you. Gilligan sure doesn’t. But do you know who he does remember? Do you know who he calls on as his most-trusted Specter? Do you know who he praises with that beautiful voice of his?” Aleta leaned in, a wild, smug smile on her face, “I think you know who. Now go away. I’m done dealing with you,” There was a long pause. A long bout of deathly silence “… You’re ignoring me again? Are you deaf? Stupid? Dense? I. Said. FUCK OFF!” She shrieked, fire in her eyes. She soon slid back against the wall, closing her eyes and breathing a sigh of relief. The doorknob rattled slightly…
But he decided it better to not check.
[SECTOR V – SUNDOWN]
Klaus was the first to arrive at Church’s meeting place – He greeted him with a wave, his coat slung over his shoulder, hair still slightly wet, “Guten tag, Church. No one else shown up yet?” He peered around quizzically, “Huh, how odd… Well, hopefully schwester will be here soon…” In the distance there was a cry of ‘Haaa~lloooo!’ as the perky young German rushed in, looking bright and chipper as usual, “Ah, hallo there schwester.”
“Hallo Klaus!” Marina beamed at Church with an excited wave, “Guten tag Church! I’m sehr pumped for this mission, I’m ready to kick some butt!” Klaus sighed softly.
“Hopefully it won’t have to come to that.”
“It’d be cool if it did, though.”
“Perhaps, but hopefully it won’t.”
“But what if it did!”
“Schwester, this isn’t a game…”
“But if it was, it’d be cool.” Klaus shrugged with a sigh.
“Right, we’re waiting on the rest then, are we Church?”
“Come on. Get inside,” A gun was pressed against Aleta’s back, but she could tell the fear in that simple action, the quavering of his voice. His confidence was just about all he had on her, because without that, he was more scared of her than she was of him. She was made to sit down, and her manacles were locked onto her arms. Normally she would struggle, but she was so elated she didn’t even care, didn’t even take advantage of the numerous weak points he exposed. He left cautiously, making sure not to turn his back on her. Despite his wariness, Aleta didn’t make a move as he shuffled out of the room – Once he was gone, a low chuckle slipped from Aleta’s throat.
“Eheh… Heh heh…” A wide, dementedly ecstatic grin filled her lips, “He said… He said I did a good job again…” In an instant her smile dropped. She perked up, glancing around as her brow folded into a frown, “You again. You just won’t leave me alone…” She grumbled, her knuckles somehow turning whiter as she clenched her fists tightly, “I thought I told you before.” The room was dark and still as usual, the only distinguishable sound being droplets of water from the roof. Despite the silence, the way she tilted her head made it seem as though she was listening to someone. She looked down, slowly closing her eyelids, “Lying, huh? You think I’m lying? Telling a fib? Speaking falsehoods, fabricating the truth leaving out details trying to mislead you only telling one side of the story” her voice started out slow, getting faster and faster before ending with a shriek of “WELL I’M NOT!” She took a second to catch her breath, before a toothy grin stretched out across her face. A low, dark snicker passed her lips, “Kehehehe… Just like a BITCH to deny the truth. Hiding like a scared little baby, closing out the world like a child in denial! Wake up jane, when are you going to remember that I killed you?!” Another grim snicker, her body trembling – Not out of fear, but out of joy, “Keheheh… I still remember it some days. It floods my senses; the smell of your blood, the feel of your cold skin, the sound of your dying gurgles… And that stupid face of yours. You looked surprised, didn’t you? You didn’t expect me. How could you? I could’ve slit your throat in an instant, you know. You should be thankful, I let you live a little longer!” Her eyes were wide open, her grin twitching slightly, “I let you see the lovely things I painted in your dirty, filthy blood. You know, it’s probably a good thing you never got to confess those FAKE feelings of yours…” Aleta’s shaking was beginning to rattle her chains, creating a low, ominous backing sound, “He wouldn’t have been as nice as me. Those beautiful legs of his make my knives look like butter knives. He wouldn’t have smiled, either. I gave you lots of smiles, didn’t I? I bet Gilligan would have cut you to shreds while giving you that cold, harsh…” Aleta began panting heavily, “Dark, malice-filled glare of his…! Haah, haaah…! Hahaha, you lucky bitch! What would he have said to you, if he even thought you were worth wasting breath on? ‘Go back to Babylon’, I bet! ‘A dirty Siren trying to tempt the hero’, that’s what he’d called you! Nothing but a temptress, a lowly WHORE!” Aleta had lunged forward, stopped short by her shackles, She slowly fell back against the wall, snickering even more, “Nothing but a myth. Most people here don’t remember you. Gilligan sure doesn’t. But do you know who he does remember? Do you know who he calls on as his most-trusted Specter? Do you know who he praises with that beautiful voice of his?” Aleta leaned in, a wild, smug smile on her face, “I think you know who. Now go away. I’m done dealing with you,” There was a long pause. A long bout of deathly silence “… You’re ignoring me again? Are you deaf? Stupid? Dense? I. Said. FUCK OFF!” She shrieked, fire in her eyes. She soon slid back against the wall, closing her eyes and breathing a sigh of relief. The doorknob rattled slightly…
But he decided it better to not check.
[SECTOR V – SUNDOWN]
Klaus was the first to arrive at Church’s meeting place – He greeted him with a wave, his coat slung over his shoulder, hair still slightly wet, “Guten tag, Church. No one else shown up yet?” He peered around quizzically, “Huh, how odd… Well, hopefully schwester will be here soon…” In the distance there was a cry of ‘Haaa~lloooo!’ as the perky young German rushed in, looking bright and chipper as usual, “Ah, hallo there schwester.”
“Hallo Klaus!” Marina beamed at Church with an excited wave, “Guten tag Church! I’m sehr pumped for this mission, I’m ready to kick some butt!” Klaus sighed softly.
“Hopefully it won’t have to come to that.”
“It’d be cool if it did, though.”
“Perhaps, but hopefully it won’t.”
“But what if it did!”
“Schwester, this isn’t a game…”
“But if it was, it’d be cool.” Klaus shrugged with a sigh.
“Right, we’re waiting on the rest then, are we Church?”
Just so we're clear, not knowing about Neverdead is not a bad thing.
Neverdead is a very bad no good video game released back in like, 2010.
BROKEN BEATEN
NEVER DEAD
DISMEMBERED BURNED
NEVERDEAD
SHOT EXPLODED
NEVERDEAD
(hahaha i just reminded everyone that neverdead exists)
NEVER DEAD
DISMEMBERED BURNED
NEVERDEAD
SHOT EXPLODED
NEVERDEAD
(hahaha i just reminded everyone that neverdead exists)
[Captain]
Church’s countenance was solemn for a moment, but softened substantially when he realized that Acacia was still there.
“Haha, but hey, why worry? We’ve got our own medic with us. Hell, I almost feel bad for the enemy.”
He took his hand from his face, and flashed Acacia a good-natured thumbs up, “Congratulations, you’ve just been assigned the most accident prone Sector in Sundown. You are going to be getting a lot of practice!”
Then, he returned to his senior Sector members, and smiled sheepishly.
“R’n’R, huh? Well, time or no, I don’t think we really have much of a choice…” he chuckled, almost embarrassedly, “We’re, uh… we’re sort of banged up. I think a shower is the least we deserve.”
He moved his hand downwards, and pressed it protectively against his ribs.
Following this, he scowled at Eva, although it was fairly obvious the gesture wasn’t intended to be too malicious, “Although, keep that up and it’ll be you carrying me to the medical bay, you follow?”
He maintained eye contact for a few seconds, before eventually rescinding that attitude, and turning both himself and Eva around.
“But first thing’s first. C’mon, Raggedy Anne, let’s go find you some clothes.”
And with that, he began pacing towards Sundown’s interior. However, before getting more than half-way across the plaza, he paused, and threw a glance over his shoulder.
“Hey, Marina? Show Acacia the ropes, will you? You’re the best, after all.”
And with that, he said no more, and continued onwards.
[Prince]
Marina grinned proudly, folding her arms and puffing her chest out, "Heheh, good choice!" Turning to Acacia, she thrust her finger out to point at her, "Alright, you're gonna be under my command! I'm gonna train you brutally but efficiently," she put her hands on her hips, "You shall refer to me as Ms. Marina, Marina the Best, or Commander Hoffen! Are there any questions, Acacia?"
[Berry]
Marina’s energy took Acacia by surprise. The rest of Sector V was in pretty bad shape -- it looked like “most accident prone sector in Sundown” wasn’t said in jest -- but this girl seemed pretty fiery. Eyes wide, she glanced at Churchill’s back as he walked away, then back at Marina, trying to size her up in the couple of seconds it took to tighten the chest strap that kept her pack from moving too much. “No questions,” she said, hoping her apprehension didn’t come out in her voice. “Ms. Marina,” she added for good measure, “the Best. Ma’am.” Acacia spread her feet slightly, knees loose, not really sure what to expect.
[Prince]
"Ja, right then! First thing you should know is that even I wouldn't be egoistical enough to make you refer to me as Marina the Best," She giggled with a grin, her posture significantly loosening up as she simply slipped her hands into the pockets of her dress, "Relax, we're all equals. We'll take this at a pace that works with you, everyone was new once." Marina held a hand out for shaking with a bright smile, "I don't know if we've been properly acquainted yet or not, my mind tends to wander, eheh. Marina Hoffen, at your service!"
[Berry]
Acacia stepped forward to shake Marina’s hand, her face relaxing into a characteristic -- and relieved -- smile. “Acacia Ridder,” she replied, “nice to meet you. I’ve seen you before, but we’ve never really met.” As she drew her hand back, she shrugged off the leather satchel MacReary had given her and set it off to one side. “So what’s the plan?” she asked, reaching up to twist her hair into a tighter bun as she spoke.
[Prince]
Marina nodded thoughtfully as she slid her hand back into her pocket, "Ja, ja… Makes sense! Though from what I've been told, most people hear me long before they see me," She chuckled sheepishly, "Right, the plan is to practice running and combat! At the very least you'll need one of them to get through our next mission. Hopefully it'll be the running. Still, it's best to go over both just in case! Now…" Marina put a hand on her chin in deep thought, "What would be free now… Well, it's still pretty early, so the gym should be nice and empty. After that incident yesterday, no one seems that eager to do a bit of training. But oh well, empty's just how we need it!" Marina nodded firmly, "So combat first. How's that sound?"
[Berry]
"Sounds good. Though I might be a little rusty," Acacia cautioned, picking up the satchel and swinging it right back onto her shoulder. Might as well get used to the damn thing, she thought as she lifted the strap over her head, fidgeting with it until it was nestled tightly below her red pack. She shot Marina a wry smile when she finally got it into place, and they headed out of the courtyard and wound their way through the corridors, eventually coming to the gym -- which, just as Marina had predicted, was completely empty. "I don't come here too often," Acacia said as she looked around the room. "It's not really my forte."
[Prince]
"I come here every morning!" Marina replied proudly, punching at the air, "I practise my boxing every day. Don't feel you have to though, I'm just kinda weird," Marina chuckled, striding further in and turning on the ball of her foot as she splayed her hands in the direction of the punching bag, "This is the punching bag I always use, so it's definitely not defective. Now, just for curiosity's sake, how much do you know about fighting? You have a specific style you prefer?"
[Berry]
"Is avoidance a style?" Although she said it with a playful smile, in all honesty, Acacia knew almost nothing about fighting, especially when it came to being on the offensive. She walked around the bag slowly, trying to visualize a person, imagining what might be a good spot to strike, but it just didn't click. When she came around to where Marina was standing, an idea struck. A terrible idea, maybe, but an idea nonetheless. "I don't know if I'd be too good at this," she began, laying one hand on the punching bag as she spoke, "but what if we sparred? Think you'd totally outclass me?"
[Prince]
Marina tilted her head in thought, "Hmm… That's a pretty gut idea! We haven't got all the time in the world, so trial by fire may be essential," She nodded firmly and thrust her hand forward in a thumbs up, "Alright, let's spar!" Marina went over and climbed into the ring, looking over the ropes with a smile, "Need help getting up? The ropes can be a bit tough to climb."
[Berry]
Without a word, Acacia followed Marina over to the ring, lifted herself up onto the platform, and slipped nimbly between the ropes, holding up her thumb and forefinger in an "O.K." as she went to stand opposite the other runner. At least there were some things she was good at. She slid one foot back, turning her body so that she faced Marina at an angle, and bent her elbows loosely. "Try to go easy on me," she said only half-jokingly, "we need at least one person without any bruises on this mission."
[Prince]
Marina chuckled with a wide grin, "Don't worry! I don't have my gloves on," She stretched quickly, before dropping into a fighting stance; her hands balled into fists, leaning in slightly as she swayed left and right, "Alright! Werden wir tanzen?" She grinned.
[Berry]
"Ja," Acacia shot back mischievously, her eyes sparkling as she took a step to her left. She kept her eyes trained on Marina as she moved, examining her stance, trying to glean as much information as possible from her fists, her posture, the way her feet were placed. At this point, Acacia was making it up as she went along; but she thought she knew enough about the human body to stand a chance. She took another step, placing her foot lightly, making sure to keep her weight evenly distributed. Breathe in -- two, three -- on the exhale, Acacia darted forward and to the right, aiming a quick jab at Marina's left side.
[Prince]
She thought quickly, Marina had to give her that - She thought well on her feet, and she seemed to glean quite a lot simply from watching someone's stance. Marina had to jump into action to weave around her strike, before returning with a right jab directed toward Acacia's right arm. The young German was trying her hardest to keep her fists quick but light; however, her muscle memory was making that a hard play. She was far too used to swinging fists covered in those weighted gloves.
[Berry]
Acacia realized too late that by coming in so close to her opponent, she had left herself wide open, and Marina's jab landed easily, though perhaps not as squarely as intended. Still, the blow knocked Acacia off balance, and she spun, barely righting herself rather clumsily at the last moment. She wasn’t used to being hit; the shock and frustration brought tears to her eyes, but she blinked hard, giving her head a sharp shake to clear it. Her right arm began to ache as she stepped forward again, then to her right, keeping her elbows close to her torso, waiting for Marina to make the first move this time.
[Prince]
Marina simply paced around Acacia, seemingly sizing her up. This tension, waiting for someone to make the first move… It reminded Marina of her fight with Tabitha. Staring into that Omega's sharp eyes, waiting for her to strike so she could pull her supreme counter move… Marina had to suppress a grin. Still she simply paced, swaying left and right gently, before suddenly ducking to the right and striking with a left hook.
[Berry]
If it hadn't been for the tiniest twitch at the corners of Marina's mouth, Acacia wouldn't have had a clue what was coming. But that little tell put her on alert, and she managed to step back in time, swatting rather pointlessly at Marina's fist as it breezed past her. Thinking quickly, though perhaps not clearly, Acacia darted around to Marina's left, turned on the ball of her foot, and aimed an open palmed strike at the back of her left shoulder.
[Prince]
The attack landed quite firmly, but Marina laughed, a wide and cheerful grin on her lips, "Hah, sehr gut, Acacia, sehr gut! You don't let a thing by, do you?" She quickly spun around to face her opponent and, oddly enough, hopped backwards. With barely a second between the two actions, Marina then moved in with a quick right straight aimed at Acacia's shoulders, "How about this?"
[Berry]
Reacting on instinct alone, Acacia flinched back, upper body moving independently of the lower: while her torso drew away, her feet remained planted, and she found herself off balance once again. Though she successfully avoided the attack, her momentum continued to carry her backward, and she landed squarely on her ass.
[Prince]
Marina chuckled, "Eheh, sorry about that. I try and hold back, but…" She went over and held a hand out to her, "I'll help you up. You're really gut at this, I can see what you mean when you said you were good with avoidance! You don't let a thing by, and you use that medical knowledge of yours to prima effect!" She smiled at her brightly, "You wanna keep on going?"
[Berry]
Blushing, Acacia took Marina's hand. "I'm not sure I want to see you at full steam," she returned with a laugh, "if that was you holding back. You're too much for me." Her blush spread to her ears when Marina complimented her, and she waved a hand dismissively, though deep down she was pleased. Acacia had to admit, she had done better than she expected; she was surprised to find that she did, indeed, want to continue, and she nodded eagerly. "Do we have time?"
[Prince]
Marina pulled her to her feet and playfully dusted off Acacia's shoulders, "Well, if you wanna keep going, then I wouldn't be one to say nein! It depends on how confident you are in your running abilities, you know? It's up to you, I may do the teaching, but you're the one doing the learning!"
[Berry]
"Let's do this a little longer, and then once you've thoroughly kicked my tail, we can move onto something I'm actually good at." At the moment, her desire to learn was blazing; but Acacia could feel the energy building up in her calves, knew it would soon snake its way up into her belly, and then her chest, becoming an ache that could only be soothed by the sound of feet slapping the pavement. For the time being, though, she tried to focus on the tast at hand. "Teach me how to punch properly."
[Prince]
"Ja, that sounds fair," Marina nodded sagely, before settling back into her stance, "Alright, punching. Now, something to know beforehand is that I fight using a pair of weighted gloves," She explained, "So I'm used to putting in a bit more strength than someone might need, just so I can actually strike quickly. Really, punching depends entirely on what kind of bow you're trying to land. A hook, for example, is something you'll want to put more strength into your arms than your fists," Marina struck Acacia in the side lightly with a right hook, "Feel how the fist is a little less… There, y'know?" Marina stepped back into place and patted a fist against her own chest, "Try it now, come at me with a hook. Keep in mind you can feint with a hook by going in the opposite direction, but for the most effective strike, you'll wanna lean into it. Give it a go!"
[Berry
As Marina demonstrated a right hook, Acacia tried to take in as much information as she could, her eyes darting from one point to the next on Marina's body. When she felt like she had a good idea of what to do, Acacia slid her feet into place, bent her knees slightly, and brought her fists up in front of her. One, two.. In one fluid motion, she shifted her weight to her right leg and brought her arm around, her fist landing, weakly, just below Marina's collar bone.
[Prince]
Marina nodded with a grin, flashing Acacia a thumbs up, "Perfect, perfect! Sehr gut, for sure! Now, lemme tell you about jabs and straights. A jab is just a quick strike, gut for taking advantage of a small moment of weakness," Marina struck her fist out sharply at Acacia's arm, though her fist landed surprisingly softly, "Like that. Think of it as kinda like a snake - A single quick, sharp strike. A straight, on the other hand, is gut for when an opponent is wide open. The perfect straight is when you pull your arm back," Marina pulled her arm back, balling her hand into a fist, "Set your feet on the ground," Marina shuffled her feet to keep herself steady, "And then strike!" She lashed out with a straight punch aimed at Acacia's chest, but once again it landed very softly, "For a straight, you want to focus on the energy in your hand and shoulders. Think of it as kinda like.. Uh… A slingshot! You pull it back, and then just let the part that'll hit do its thing," Marina chuckled with a grin, settling back into her usual stance, "Now, go on. First gimme a jab, and then a nice good straight!"
[Berry]
"Like a snake," Acacia repeated. She started to throw her left fist out, but stopped suddenly, pulling her arm back and hopping from one foot to the next for a moment to shake off the false start. Her eyes narrowed as she zeroed in on her target. Suddenly, her left shot out, striking Marina's right arm sharply. Acacia laughed breathlessly, eyes wide with surprise at her unexpected success. She allowed herself a brief moment to revel in the feeling, then shook her arms out, preparing for the next punch. Planting her feet firmly just like Marina had said, she pulled her left arm back, holding it much longer than would be practical in a real fight; then, as if releasing a spring, she flung her tightly balled fist at Marina's chest.. and missed. She stumbled forward as the blow barely grazed Marina's shoulder, immediately looking to the more experienced Runner for guidance. "What did I do wrong?" she asked, her disappointment painted all across her face.
[Prince]
Marina held Acacia steady with a chuckle, patting her shoulder, "Not much, don't worry! Your only problem was that when you pulled it off, you made more of a flinging motion," Marina explained, "It's alright, it's probably more my fault for explaining it badly. Heheh, I knew a slingshot would be nein gut as a comparison. Think of it more like…" Marina thought for a moment, before snapping her fingers, "A pinball machine! It's more like a pinball machine. You know how you pull it back, and then when you let go it snaps back and hits the ball? It's sort of like that. What you have to keep in mind is that it's called a straight for a reason - When you let the punch go, it has to go straight. Now go on, try it again! I know you can do this, that jab was sehr fantastisch!," Marina grinned with a sheepish giggle, rubbing her arm where Acacia's jab had landed, "Actually still sort of stings, heheh."
[Berry]
"Sorry!" Acacia reached for Marina's arm, placing her hand there gently before giving it a playful sock. "But I think you'll be okay," she laughed. Still smiling, she assumed her stance once again, this time favoring her right arm. Instead of simply mirroring what she had seen Marina do, Acacia paid close attention to the way her body felt with each small movement; as her right foot moved forward, she felt her left heel lift almost of its own accord, her upper body twisting as she leaned into the punch. Her movements were painfully slow, but she felt like she might actually be getting the hang of it. After several practice runs, she inhaled sharply and delivered a surprisingly solid -- though not exactly powerful -- punch to Marina's chest.
[Prince]
Marina was pushed back slightly by the surprising force behind the punch, "Oof! Gut, sehr gut!" Marina clapped with a wide smile, "You're really getting the hang of this, Acacia! That should be gut for the basics I think," Marina put her hands on her hips, "Shouldn't keep those legs waiting any longer! Ready to do some running?"
[Berry]
Already riding a slight high from their training thus far, Acacia grinned proudly and nodded, bouncing lightly from side to side. "Definitely! I know I'm gonna need a rinse after this.. Should we make our way to the showers?"
[Prince]
"Hmm… No reason not to!" Marina grinned back with a giggle, "The sparring was surprisingly intense. You know how to keep me on my feet, Acacia! If you aren't careful I might have to start waking you up at the same crazy early time I get up just so we can spar," Marina hoisted herself over the ropes and landed cleanly on the floor. She wiped some sweat from her forehead, letting out a sigh, "Whew! Ja, that's definitely catching up with me."
[Berry]
"I don't know if I'd mind that," Acacia said as she followed Marina, swinging herself under the ropes instead of over them. "I could certainly use the practice -- and you are the best, after all," she added with a playful wink. Tired though she may be, Acacia couldn't wait to get started on their run. She couldn't even seem to stand still. Anticipation beating out a steady rhythm in her chest, she cocked her head at Marina and asked, "Ready?"
[Prince]
Marina beamed with a firm nod, "Ja, I'm ready. Let's go and take a quick shower before we get running!" Marina made her way out of the gym, making sure Acacia was following. Along the way, she noticed two people rushing past them in the direction of the gym. Marina paused for a long moment, creasing her brow, "… Huh. Wass dast Church and bruder? I wonder what has them in such a hurry…" Shrugging with a sigh, she continued on, "Those two are just such weirdos sometimes." Soon, the pair reached the showers, "Here we are, the Sector V showers! They're like the other showers, but less annoying because Avery isn't there." Marina paused and grimaced, "Much less annoying."
[Berry]
Acacia chuckled. Just as Marina said, the Sector V showers didn't seem to be any different from those that Acacia usually frequented; but she couldn't shake the giddy feeling she got as she stepped over the threshold. It was just like the feeling she had gotten as she watched Sector V assemble that morning, a feeling of new beginnings, of being a part of something bigger than herself. It was a feeling she liked. Stepping behind one of the privacy walls, she undressed and showered quickly, her mind elsewhere as she went through all the familiar motions. Within minutes, she had dressed again and was roughly towelling her hair. Acacia was painfully aware of the tautness of her muscles; they needed to release, to stretch and push and strain. She hadn't run for a good twelve hours, and it was starting to drive her a little stir crazy. As she tied her damp and tangled hair up in a messy but secure bun, she turned to Marina and asked, "So what's our route?"
[Prince]
Marina's shower had managed to be even quicker than Acacia's - By the time Acacia had finished, Marina was already putting her ribbon back in her hair, "Our route? Mmm, well… We have zwei choices," Marina replied, checking her bow in the mirror with an almost odd care, "There's the car park over in Sector X - Don't worry, Frau Maggie's cool with letting me use it," With one last adjustment, she turned to Acacia, making a spinning motion with her finger, "Or there's the surrounding roof tops. I'd best warn you though, the car park would definitely be trial by feur, it's no tutorial run!"
[Berry]
"Let's stick to the rooftops," Acacia said, laughing lightly. "We want to be in one piece for the mission, right?"
[Prince]
Marina grinned with a chuckle and a nod, "Ja, das seems like a gut idea. Are you ready to go, or do you need to do anything else?"
[Berry]
In lieu of a verbal reply, Acacia began jogging in place, then slowly toward the door, a goofy grin on her face as she cocked her head in the direction she was moving.
[Prince]
Marina rolled her eyes, following her at a more restrained pace, "I'll take that as a ja, shall i?"
[Berry]
Acacia nodded vigorously, still grinning. She went a few more yards, giving her body a chance to warm up as she gradually lengthened her stride. When she hit a long, straight stretch of hallway, she took off, a happy warmth radiating out through her entire body before the runner's high even kicked in. When she ran like this, easy and free, her aches and woes simply dissolved, scattering behind her like dust.
[Prince]
Marina chuckled, breaking into a run after her, "Wow, you just can't wait!" She grinned, eventually catching up to her and following her pace, "Running really is great, isn't it? Things can get tough, but running just… It makes you feel like you've got everything under control. Like you really accomplished something that day…" Marina looked off wistfully, before grinning playfully, "Even if I totally haven't."
[Berry]
“Yeah,” Acacia puffed in agreement, “I know exactly what you mean. It’s like, no matter what life might throw at you, you’ve always got this outlet. If something’s bugging me, all I have to do is run, and it just fades away.” As she spoke, she ducked into a narrow stairwell that ended in a heavy steel door, behind which lay the rooftops of Sundown. The sun was well on its way to its midday peak, but the slight chill that lingered in the air raised goosebumps along Acacia’s bare arms. “This, I know something about,” she said to Marina, “but I’m sure I’m still miles behind the rest of you. What should we cover?”
[Prince]
Marina chuckled with a grin, "Well, you definitely know what you're doing in regards to running!" Marina walked over and looked out at the rooftops, "So, what we're gonna practice is jumping! You ready to go for it, Acacia?" Marina put her hands on her hips.
[Berry]
Acacia checked her bun to make sure it was still tightly bound, then nodded, her face set in determination. "Let's do it!"
[Prince]
"Alright," Marina stretched her legs idly as she talked, "Jumping is about getting a good running start, and knowing the technique when you have it!" Marina paced back from the ledge of their roof, "You'll wanna be about here, if you even have time to think about it," Marina stretched her arms out, "Now when you're running, you have to keep eine thing in mind - How big the gap between rooftops is. Luckily, the gap here isn't too big, but if it is, you'll need to think about when you jump. A short jump like this can be safely made a little further back, but if the gap's too big, you'll have to time yourself carefully and jump from the very ledge to get the necessary distance," Marina took a deep breath and pointed over at the other rooftop, "OK, this next part comes after you've jumped, but for reasons you can probably guess, I'll hafta explain it now. The important part of jumping technique is knowing how to land. Landing on your feet staggers you a bit, and that's not what you want when Omegas are chasing afar you. Nein, what you want to do when you land is tuck into a roll. That way you land neatly, get some distance, und you aren't too winded to keep running," Marinna grinned sheepishly at Acacia, "I think I may have talked a little too much there… You get all that?"
[Berry]
"I think so," Acacia said slowly. She tilted her head slightly as she tried to judge the distance she would have to cross. It wasn't the jump that worried her, so much as the subsequent roll that she would have to pull off. While she had managed to successfully land most of her jumps in the past, she'd only done just that: land. It was hard to prepare for the motion without having ever done it before; maybe if she saw Marina do it.. "Um, are you gonna go first?"
[Prince]
"Oh ja, of course!" Marina nodded firmly, "I was just making sure you got everything before I did my demonstration," She giggled with a grin, "Right, let's go… Watch me carefully, OK?" Marina ran at the ledge, and jumped just before she came close to the ledge. She shot across the gap, tucking into a ball just before landing and shifting into a roll. Hopping to her feet she let out a cheerful sigh and cupped her hands over her mouth, "You get that, Acacia?"
[Berry]
Acacia kept her eyes trained on her tutor during the whole exercise, but when Marina called back to her, she felt just as clueless as she had before. "Got it!" she said, much more confidently than she felt, and took a few steps back to give herself space for a running start. "Just gotta do it," she muttered under her breath. "It's easy. Just do it." An image of Marina's landing replayed in her head, and after a deep, bracing breath, Acacia started running. Right before she came to the ledge, she pushed off -- flew -- the concrete came up to greet her eagerly, and in that split second where she should have tucked her body in tightly, she panicked, bringing her shoulder down to roll but failing to follow through. Acacia went sprawling, her left shoulder and arm taking the brunt of the impact, though her pride was probably injured more than anything else. "Crap," she grunted, sitting up gingerly and inspecting her arm, which hardly warranted a bandage but would probably sport a lovely bruise before too long.
[Prince]
"Ah, Acacia!" Marina ran over to her, crouching down beside her, eyes full of worry, "Are you alright? Scheisse, I knew explained that badly! Are you hurt bad? Do you need me to take you to the Doktor?" Marina inspected Acacia's wound, but soon chuckled dryly, "Hah, you're the medic here… You'd know about this far better than me. How're you feeling?"
[Berry]
"I'm okay, I'm okay, it's not that bad," Acacia said quickly, her face so red it could have stopped traffic. "It's just a little scrape, the bleeding will stop on its own." She got to her feet and took off her satchel, checking that its contents had survived her clumsiness. When she was satisfied that everything was still intact, Acacia swung the bag back over her head, glancing sideways at Marina as she tightened the strap. "Sorry, I kind of freaked out at the last second," she said with a tentative smile. "You explained it fine, I think I just psyched myself out." After a moment of thought, her smile grew a little more sure, and she said, "I want to try it again."
[Prince]
Marina waited a moment, her brow creased in concern, but soon she smiled brightly with a nod, "Alright… If you're sure. Gut thing too, we need to get back over somehow!" With a chuckle, she stood up, "Want me to demonstrate again, or are you confident in doing it?"
[Berry]
"You go first, I want to see it one more time. But, one sec --" Acacia jogged a few yards along the roof's edge, until she was far enough away that she'd be able to get a good view of Marina's jump from the side. "Okay, go ahead!"
[Prince]
Marina chuckled, "OK, watch closely!" Marina paced back, before running up to the ledge and taking a jump. Just like before, he tucked in and landed into a roll, before cheerfully standing up, "Did you see it? Be honest now!"
[Berry]
This time, instead of just watching Marina and hoping she could figure out the mechanics afterward, Acacia paid close attention to which parts of the body were used at key moments, and tried to imagine her own body moving in the same way. "Yeah, I really got it this time!" She backed up a few feet, flashed two thumbs up, and tried it again. Landing on the balls of her feet, she immediately tucked in her head and shoulders, rolling from her right shoulder to her left hip. Her momentum carried her forward a little more than she was prepared for, making her stumble forward when she came to her feet again, but her ecstatic grin didn't falter. "Yes!" she cheered, punching happily at the air. "I can't believe I did it!"
[Prince]
Marina grinned widely, giving her a thumbs up, "Prima, sehr gut, fantastisch! You're a natural!" She patted Acacia's back heartily, glowing with pride, "You'll be a pro in no time Acacia, seriously gut work! But well…" Marina chuckled coyly, "You did have help from the very best, after all!"
[Berry]
"I never could have done it without you, boss," Acacia returned playfully, though her gratitude was genuine. Glancing up at the sky, she asked Marina, "When do you think we should head back?"
[Prince]
"Hmm… Probably right now, I'd say. I'm sure those drei are done with their business," Marina murmured, looking up at the sky with her for a second, before looking back at Acacia with a smile, "You did really gut, Acacia. I'm seriously impressed. Let's head back, we deserve some rest!"
[Berry]
Rotating her left arm to test for any soreness, Acacia nodded in agreement. "That sounds good. I think I need to get some ice on this if I want it working like it should later," she mused as they began walking back toward the stairwell. "Thanks a lot, Marina," she said after a moment, her eyes creased in a gentle smile. "I really appreciate you helping me out."
[Prince]
"Eheh," Marina chuckled, trying hard to hide her bright, goofy grin, "Well… I was just happy to help, is all! Need to make sure all the members of Sector V can keep up, you know?" She folded her arms with another chuckle.
[Berry]
"Well, it's nice that someone's there to watch out for us newbies." When she got to the bottom of the stairs, Acacia turned to Marina and laughed, "Now, if I mess up, I can just blame it on your training methods!"
[Prince]
Marina rolled her eyes with a chuckle, "You're cunning, I'll give you that! C'mon, go off and get your ice. We'll see you later OK?"
[Berry]
"All right, see you in a bit," Acacia said with a wave, then took off at a jog toward the medical ward.
Church’s countenance was solemn for a moment, but softened substantially when he realized that Acacia was still there.
“Haha, but hey, why worry? We’ve got our own medic with us. Hell, I almost feel bad for the enemy.”
He took his hand from his face, and flashed Acacia a good-natured thumbs up, “Congratulations, you’ve just been assigned the most accident prone Sector in Sundown. You are going to be getting a lot of practice!”
Then, he returned to his senior Sector members, and smiled sheepishly.
“R’n’R, huh? Well, time or no, I don’t think we really have much of a choice…” he chuckled, almost embarrassedly, “We’re, uh… we’re sort of banged up. I think a shower is the least we deserve.”
He moved his hand downwards, and pressed it protectively against his ribs.
Following this, he scowled at Eva, although it was fairly obvious the gesture wasn’t intended to be too malicious, “Although, keep that up and it’ll be you carrying me to the medical bay, you follow?”
He maintained eye contact for a few seconds, before eventually rescinding that attitude, and turning both himself and Eva around.
“But first thing’s first. C’mon, Raggedy Anne, let’s go find you some clothes.”
And with that, he began pacing towards Sundown’s interior. However, before getting more than half-way across the plaza, he paused, and threw a glance over his shoulder.
“Hey, Marina? Show Acacia the ropes, will you? You’re the best, after all.”
And with that, he said no more, and continued onwards.
[Prince]
Marina grinned proudly, folding her arms and puffing her chest out, "Heheh, good choice!" Turning to Acacia, she thrust her finger out to point at her, "Alright, you're gonna be under my command! I'm gonna train you brutally but efficiently," she put her hands on her hips, "You shall refer to me as Ms. Marina, Marina the Best, or Commander Hoffen! Are there any questions, Acacia?"
[Berry]
Marina’s energy took Acacia by surprise. The rest of Sector V was in pretty bad shape -- it looked like “most accident prone sector in Sundown” wasn’t said in jest -- but this girl seemed pretty fiery. Eyes wide, she glanced at Churchill’s back as he walked away, then back at Marina, trying to size her up in the couple of seconds it took to tighten the chest strap that kept her pack from moving too much. “No questions,” she said, hoping her apprehension didn’t come out in her voice. “Ms. Marina,” she added for good measure, “the Best. Ma’am.” Acacia spread her feet slightly, knees loose, not really sure what to expect.
[Prince]
"Ja, right then! First thing you should know is that even I wouldn't be egoistical enough to make you refer to me as Marina the Best," She giggled with a grin, her posture significantly loosening up as she simply slipped her hands into the pockets of her dress, "Relax, we're all equals. We'll take this at a pace that works with you, everyone was new once." Marina held a hand out for shaking with a bright smile, "I don't know if we've been properly acquainted yet or not, my mind tends to wander, eheh. Marina Hoffen, at your service!"
[Berry]
Acacia stepped forward to shake Marina’s hand, her face relaxing into a characteristic -- and relieved -- smile. “Acacia Ridder,” she replied, “nice to meet you. I’ve seen you before, but we’ve never really met.” As she drew her hand back, she shrugged off the leather satchel MacReary had given her and set it off to one side. “So what’s the plan?” she asked, reaching up to twist her hair into a tighter bun as she spoke.
[Prince]
Marina nodded thoughtfully as she slid her hand back into her pocket, "Ja, ja… Makes sense! Though from what I've been told, most people hear me long before they see me," She chuckled sheepishly, "Right, the plan is to practice running and combat! At the very least you'll need one of them to get through our next mission. Hopefully it'll be the running. Still, it's best to go over both just in case! Now…" Marina put a hand on her chin in deep thought, "What would be free now… Well, it's still pretty early, so the gym should be nice and empty. After that incident yesterday, no one seems that eager to do a bit of training. But oh well, empty's just how we need it!" Marina nodded firmly, "So combat first. How's that sound?"
[Berry]
"Sounds good. Though I might be a little rusty," Acacia cautioned, picking up the satchel and swinging it right back onto her shoulder. Might as well get used to the damn thing, she thought as she lifted the strap over her head, fidgeting with it until it was nestled tightly below her red pack. She shot Marina a wry smile when she finally got it into place, and they headed out of the courtyard and wound their way through the corridors, eventually coming to the gym -- which, just as Marina had predicted, was completely empty. "I don't come here too often," Acacia said as she looked around the room. "It's not really my forte."
[Prince]
"I come here every morning!" Marina replied proudly, punching at the air, "I practise my boxing every day. Don't feel you have to though, I'm just kinda weird," Marina chuckled, striding further in and turning on the ball of her foot as she splayed her hands in the direction of the punching bag, "This is the punching bag I always use, so it's definitely not defective. Now, just for curiosity's sake, how much do you know about fighting? You have a specific style you prefer?"
[Berry]
"Is avoidance a style?" Although she said it with a playful smile, in all honesty, Acacia knew almost nothing about fighting, especially when it came to being on the offensive. She walked around the bag slowly, trying to visualize a person, imagining what might be a good spot to strike, but it just didn't click. When she came around to where Marina was standing, an idea struck. A terrible idea, maybe, but an idea nonetheless. "I don't know if I'd be too good at this," she began, laying one hand on the punching bag as she spoke, "but what if we sparred? Think you'd totally outclass me?"
[Prince]
Marina tilted her head in thought, "Hmm… That's a pretty gut idea! We haven't got all the time in the world, so trial by fire may be essential," She nodded firmly and thrust her hand forward in a thumbs up, "Alright, let's spar!" Marina went over and climbed into the ring, looking over the ropes with a smile, "Need help getting up? The ropes can be a bit tough to climb."
[Berry]
Without a word, Acacia followed Marina over to the ring, lifted herself up onto the platform, and slipped nimbly between the ropes, holding up her thumb and forefinger in an "O.K." as she went to stand opposite the other runner. At least there were some things she was good at. She slid one foot back, turning her body so that she faced Marina at an angle, and bent her elbows loosely. "Try to go easy on me," she said only half-jokingly, "we need at least one person without any bruises on this mission."
[Prince]
Marina chuckled with a wide grin, "Don't worry! I don't have my gloves on," She stretched quickly, before dropping into a fighting stance; her hands balled into fists, leaning in slightly as she swayed left and right, "Alright! Werden wir tanzen?" She grinned.
[Berry]
"Ja," Acacia shot back mischievously, her eyes sparkling as she took a step to her left. She kept her eyes trained on Marina as she moved, examining her stance, trying to glean as much information as possible from her fists, her posture, the way her feet were placed. At this point, Acacia was making it up as she went along; but she thought she knew enough about the human body to stand a chance. She took another step, placing her foot lightly, making sure to keep her weight evenly distributed. Breathe in -- two, three -- on the exhale, Acacia darted forward and to the right, aiming a quick jab at Marina's left side.
[Prince]
She thought quickly, Marina had to give her that - She thought well on her feet, and she seemed to glean quite a lot simply from watching someone's stance. Marina had to jump into action to weave around her strike, before returning with a right jab directed toward Acacia's right arm. The young German was trying her hardest to keep her fists quick but light; however, her muscle memory was making that a hard play. She was far too used to swinging fists covered in those weighted gloves.
[Berry]
Acacia realized too late that by coming in so close to her opponent, she had left herself wide open, and Marina's jab landed easily, though perhaps not as squarely as intended. Still, the blow knocked Acacia off balance, and she spun, barely righting herself rather clumsily at the last moment. She wasn’t used to being hit; the shock and frustration brought tears to her eyes, but she blinked hard, giving her head a sharp shake to clear it. Her right arm began to ache as she stepped forward again, then to her right, keeping her elbows close to her torso, waiting for Marina to make the first move this time.
[Prince]
Marina simply paced around Acacia, seemingly sizing her up. This tension, waiting for someone to make the first move… It reminded Marina of her fight with Tabitha. Staring into that Omega's sharp eyes, waiting for her to strike so she could pull her supreme counter move… Marina had to suppress a grin. Still she simply paced, swaying left and right gently, before suddenly ducking to the right and striking with a left hook.
[Berry]
If it hadn't been for the tiniest twitch at the corners of Marina's mouth, Acacia wouldn't have had a clue what was coming. But that little tell put her on alert, and she managed to step back in time, swatting rather pointlessly at Marina's fist as it breezed past her. Thinking quickly, though perhaps not clearly, Acacia darted around to Marina's left, turned on the ball of her foot, and aimed an open palmed strike at the back of her left shoulder.
[Prince]
The attack landed quite firmly, but Marina laughed, a wide and cheerful grin on her lips, "Hah, sehr gut, Acacia, sehr gut! You don't let a thing by, do you?" She quickly spun around to face her opponent and, oddly enough, hopped backwards. With barely a second between the two actions, Marina then moved in with a quick right straight aimed at Acacia's shoulders, "How about this?"
[Berry]
Reacting on instinct alone, Acacia flinched back, upper body moving independently of the lower: while her torso drew away, her feet remained planted, and she found herself off balance once again. Though she successfully avoided the attack, her momentum continued to carry her backward, and she landed squarely on her ass.
[Prince]
Marina chuckled, "Eheh, sorry about that. I try and hold back, but…" She went over and held a hand out to her, "I'll help you up. You're really gut at this, I can see what you mean when you said you were good with avoidance! You don't let a thing by, and you use that medical knowledge of yours to prima effect!" She smiled at her brightly, "You wanna keep on going?"
[Berry]
Blushing, Acacia took Marina's hand. "I'm not sure I want to see you at full steam," she returned with a laugh, "if that was you holding back. You're too much for me." Her blush spread to her ears when Marina complimented her, and she waved a hand dismissively, though deep down she was pleased. Acacia had to admit, she had done better than she expected; she was surprised to find that she did, indeed, want to continue, and she nodded eagerly. "Do we have time?"
[Prince]
Marina pulled her to her feet and playfully dusted off Acacia's shoulders, "Well, if you wanna keep going, then I wouldn't be one to say nein! It depends on how confident you are in your running abilities, you know? It's up to you, I may do the teaching, but you're the one doing the learning!"
[Berry]
"Let's do this a little longer, and then once you've thoroughly kicked my tail, we can move onto something I'm actually good at." At the moment, her desire to learn was blazing; but Acacia could feel the energy building up in her calves, knew it would soon snake its way up into her belly, and then her chest, becoming an ache that could only be soothed by the sound of feet slapping the pavement. For the time being, though, she tried to focus on the tast at hand. "Teach me how to punch properly."
[Prince]
"Ja, that sounds fair," Marina nodded sagely, before settling back into her stance, "Alright, punching. Now, something to know beforehand is that I fight using a pair of weighted gloves," She explained, "So I'm used to putting in a bit more strength than someone might need, just so I can actually strike quickly. Really, punching depends entirely on what kind of bow you're trying to land. A hook, for example, is something you'll want to put more strength into your arms than your fists," Marina struck Acacia in the side lightly with a right hook, "Feel how the fist is a little less… There, y'know?" Marina stepped back into place and patted a fist against her own chest, "Try it now, come at me with a hook. Keep in mind you can feint with a hook by going in the opposite direction, but for the most effective strike, you'll wanna lean into it. Give it a go!"
[Berry
As Marina demonstrated a right hook, Acacia tried to take in as much information as she could, her eyes darting from one point to the next on Marina's body. When she felt like she had a good idea of what to do, Acacia slid her feet into place, bent her knees slightly, and brought her fists up in front of her. One, two.. In one fluid motion, she shifted her weight to her right leg and brought her arm around, her fist landing, weakly, just below Marina's collar bone.
[Prince]
Marina nodded with a grin, flashing Acacia a thumbs up, "Perfect, perfect! Sehr gut, for sure! Now, lemme tell you about jabs and straights. A jab is just a quick strike, gut for taking advantage of a small moment of weakness," Marina struck her fist out sharply at Acacia's arm, though her fist landed surprisingly softly, "Like that. Think of it as kinda like a snake - A single quick, sharp strike. A straight, on the other hand, is gut for when an opponent is wide open. The perfect straight is when you pull your arm back," Marina pulled her arm back, balling her hand into a fist, "Set your feet on the ground," Marina shuffled her feet to keep herself steady, "And then strike!" She lashed out with a straight punch aimed at Acacia's chest, but once again it landed very softly, "For a straight, you want to focus on the energy in your hand and shoulders. Think of it as kinda like.. Uh… A slingshot! You pull it back, and then just let the part that'll hit do its thing," Marina chuckled with a grin, settling back into her usual stance, "Now, go on. First gimme a jab, and then a nice good straight!"
[Berry]
"Like a snake," Acacia repeated. She started to throw her left fist out, but stopped suddenly, pulling her arm back and hopping from one foot to the next for a moment to shake off the false start. Her eyes narrowed as she zeroed in on her target. Suddenly, her left shot out, striking Marina's right arm sharply. Acacia laughed breathlessly, eyes wide with surprise at her unexpected success. She allowed herself a brief moment to revel in the feeling, then shook her arms out, preparing for the next punch. Planting her feet firmly just like Marina had said, she pulled her left arm back, holding it much longer than would be practical in a real fight; then, as if releasing a spring, she flung her tightly balled fist at Marina's chest.. and missed. She stumbled forward as the blow barely grazed Marina's shoulder, immediately looking to the more experienced Runner for guidance. "What did I do wrong?" she asked, her disappointment painted all across her face.
[Prince]
Marina held Acacia steady with a chuckle, patting her shoulder, "Not much, don't worry! Your only problem was that when you pulled it off, you made more of a flinging motion," Marina explained, "It's alright, it's probably more my fault for explaining it badly. Heheh, I knew a slingshot would be nein gut as a comparison. Think of it more like…" Marina thought for a moment, before snapping her fingers, "A pinball machine! It's more like a pinball machine. You know how you pull it back, and then when you let go it snaps back and hits the ball? It's sort of like that. What you have to keep in mind is that it's called a straight for a reason - When you let the punch go, it has to go straight. Now go on, try it again! I know you can do this, that jab was sehr fantastisch!," Marina grinned with a sheepish giggle, rubbing her arm where Acacia's jab had landed, "Actually still sort of stings, heheh."
[Berry]
"Sorry!" Acacia reached for Marina's arm, placing her hand there gently before giving it a playful sock. "But I think you'll be okay," she laughed. Still smiling, she assumed her stance once again, this time favoring her right arm. Instead of simply mirroring what she had seen Marina do, Acacia paid close attention to the way her body felt with each small movement; as her right foot moved forward, she felt her left heel lift almost of its own accord, her upper body twisting as she leaned into the punch. Her movements were painfully slow, but she felt like she might actually be getting the hang of it. After several practice runs, she inhaled sharply and delivered a surprisingly solid -- though not exactly powerful -- punch to Marina's chest.
[Prince]
Marina was pushed back slightly by the surprising force behind the punch, "Oof! Gut, sehr gut!" Marina clapped with a wide smile, "You're really getting the hang of this, Acacia! That should be gut for the basics I think," Marina put her hands on her hips, "Shouldn't keep those legs waiting any longer! Ready to do some running?"
[Berry]
Already riding a slight high from their training thus far, Acacia grinned proudly and nodded, bouncing lightly from side to side. "Definitely! I know I'm gonna need a rinse after this.. Should we make our way to the showers?"
[Prince]
"Hmm… No reason not to!" Marina grinned back with a giggle, "The sparring was surprisingly intense. You know how to keep me on my feet, Acacia! If you aren't careful I might have to start waking you up at the same crazy early time I get up just so we can spar," Marina hoisted herself over the ropes and landed cleanly on the floor. She wiped some sweat from her forehead, letting out a sigh, "Whew! Ja, that's definitely catching up with me."
[Berry]
"I don't know if I'd mind that," Acacia said as she followed Marina, swinging herself under the ropes instead of over them. "I could certainly use the practice -- and you are the best, after all," she added with a playful wink. Tired though she may be, Acacia couldn't wait to get started on their run. She couldn't even seem to stand still. Anticipation beating out a steady rhythm in her chest, she cocked her head at Marina and asked, "Ready?"
[Prince]
Marina beamed with a firm nod, "Ja, I'm ready. Let's go and take a quick shower before we get running!" Marina made her way out of the gym, making sure Acacia was following. Along the way, she noticed two people rushing past them in the direction of the gym. Marina paused for a long moment, creasing her brow, "… Huh. Wass dast Church and bruder? I wonder what has them in such a hurry…" Shrugging with a sigh, she continued on, "Those two are just such weirdos sometimes." Soon, the pair reached the showers, "Here we are, the Sector V showers! They're like the other showers, but less annoying because Avery isn't there." Marina paused and grimaced, "Much less annoying."
[Berry]
Acacia chuckled. Just as Marina said, the Sector V showers didn't seem to be any different from those that Acacia usually frequented; but she couldn't shake the giddy feeling she got as she stepped over the threshold. It was just like the feeling she had gotten as she watched Sector V assemble that morning, a feeling of new beginnings, of being a part of something bigger than herself. It was a feeling she liked. Stepping behind one of the privacy walls, she undressed and showered quickly, her mind elsewhere as she went through all the familiar motions. Within minutes, she had dressed again and was roughly towelling her hair. Acacia was painfully aware of the tautness of her muscles; they needed to release, to stretch and push and strain. She hadn't run for a good twelve hours, and it was starting to drive her a little stir crazy. As she tied her damp and tangled hair up in a messy but secure bun, she turned to Marina and asked, "So what's our route?"
[Prince]
Marina's shower had managed to be even quicker than Acacia's - By the time Acacia had finished, Marina was already putting her ribbon back in her hair, "Our route? Mmm, well… We have zwei choices," Marina replied, checking her bow in the mirror with an almost odd care, "There's the car park over in Sector X - Don't worry, Frau Maggie's cool with letting me use it," With one last adjustment, she turned to Acacia, making a spinning motion with her finger, "Or there's the surrounding roof tops. I'd best warn you though, the car park would definitely be trial by feur, it's no tutorial run!"
[Berry]
"Let's stick to the rooftops," Acacia said, laughing lightly. "We want to be in one piece for the mission, right?"
[Prince]
Marina grinned with a chuckle and a nod, "Ja, das seems like a gut idea. Are you ready to go, or do you need to do anything else?"
[Berry]
In lieu of a verbal reply, Acacia began jogging in place, then slowly toward the door, a goofy grin on her face as she cocked her head in the direction she was moving.
[Prince]
Marina rolled her eyes, following her at a more restrained pace, "I'll take that as a ja, shall i?"
[Berry]
Acacia nodded vigorously, still grinning. She went a few more yards, giving her body a chance to warm up as she gradually lengthened her stride. When she hit a long, straight stretch of hallway, she took off, a happy warmth radiating out through her entire body before the runner's high even kicked in. When she ran like this, easy and free, her aches and woes simply dissolved, scattering behind her like dust.
[Prince]
Marina chuckled, breaking into a run after her, "Wow, you just can't wait!" She grinned, eventually catching up to her and following her pace, "Running really is great, isn't it? Things can get tough, but running just… It makes you feel like you've got everything under control. Like you really accomplished something that day…" Marina looked off wistfully, before grinning playfully, "Even if I totally haven't."
[Berry]
“Yeah,” Acacia puffed in agreement, “I know exactly what you mean. It’s like, no matter what life might throw at you, you’ve always got this outlet. If something’s bugging me, all I have to do is run, and it just fades away.” As she spoke, she ducked into a narrow stairwell that ended in a heavy steel door, behind which lay the rooftops of Sundown. The sun was well on its way to its midday peak, but the slight chill that lingered in the air raised goosebumps along Acacia’s bare arms. “This, I know something about,” she said to Marina, “but I’m sure I’m still miles behind the rest of you. What should we cover?”
[Prince]
Marina chuckled with a grin, "Well, you definitely know what you're doing in regards to running!" Marina walked over and looked out at the rooftops, "So, what we're gonna practice is jumping! You ready to go for it, Acacia?" Marina put her hands on her hips.
[Berry]
Acacia checked her bun to make sure it was still tightly bound, then nodded, her face set in determination. "Let's do it!"
[Prince]
"Alright," Marina stretched her legs idly as she talked, "Jumping is about getting a good running start, and knowing the technique when you have it!" Marina paced back from the ledge of their roof, "You'll wanna be about here, if you even have time to think about it," Marina stretched her arms out, "Now when you're running, you have to keep eine thing in mind - How big the gap between rooftops is. Luckily, the gap here isn't too big, but if it is, you'll need to think about when you jump. A short jump like this can be safely made a little further back, but if the gap's too big, you'll have to time yourself carefully and jump from the very ledge to get the necessary distance," Marina took a deep breath and pointed over at the other rooftop, "OK, this next part comes after you've jumped, but for reasons you can probably guess, I'll hafta explain it now. The important part of jumping technique is knowing how to land. Landing on your feet staggers you a bit, and that's not what you want when Omegas are chasing afar you. Nein, what you want to do when you land is tuck into a roll. That way you land neatly, get some distance, und you aren't too winded to keep running," Marinna grinned sheepishly at Acacia, "I think I may have talked a little too much there… You get all that?"
[Berry]
"I think so," Acacia said slowly. She tilted her head slightly as she tried to judge the distance she would have to cross. It wasn't the jump that worried her, so much as the subsequent roll that she would have to pull off. While she had managed to successfully land most of her jumps in the past, she'd only done just that: land. It was hard to prepare for the motion without having ever done it before; maybe if she saw Marina do it.. "Um, are you gonna go first?"
[Prince]
"Oh ja, of course!" Marina nodded firmly, "I was just making sure you got everything before I did my demonstration," She giggled with a grin, "Right, let's go… Watch me carefully, OK?" Marina ran at the ledge, and jumped just before she came close to the ledge. She shot across the gap, tucking into a ball just before landing and shifting into a roll. Hopping to her feet she let out a cheerful sigh and cupped her hands over her mouth, "You get that, Acacia?"
[Berry]
Acacia kept her eyes trained on her tutor during the whole exercise, but when Marina called back to her, she felt just as clueless as she had before. "Got it!" she said, much more confidently than she felt, and took a few steps back to give herself space for a running start. "Just gotta do it," she muttered under her breath. "It's easy. Just do it." An image of Marina's landing replayed in her head, and after a deep, bracing breath, Acacia started running. Right before she came to the ledge, she pushed off -- flew -- the concrete came up to greet her eagerly, and in that split second where she should have tucked her body in tightly, she panicked, bringing her shoulder down to roll but failing to follow through. Acacia went sprawling, her left shoulder and arm taking the brunt of the impact, though her pride was probably injured more than anything else. "Crap," she grunted, sitting up gingerly and inspecting her arm, which hardly warranted a bandage but would probably sport a lovely bruise before too long.
[Prince]
"Ah, Acacia!" Marina ran over to her, crouching down beside her, eyes full of worry, "Are you alright? Scheisse, I knew explained that badly! Are you hurt bad? Do you need me to take you to the Doktor?" Marina inspected Acacia's wound, but soon chuckled dryly, "Hah, you're the medic here… You'd know about this far better than me. How're you feeling?"
[Berry]
"I'm okay, I'm okay, it's not that bad," Acacia said quickly, her face so red it could have stopped traffic. "It's just a little scrape, the bleeding will stop on its own." She got to her feet and took off her satchel, checking that its contents had survived her clumsiness. When she was satisfied that everything was still intact, Acacia swung the bag back over her head, glancing sideways at Marina as she tightened the strap. "Sorry, I kind of freaked out at the last second," she said with a tentative smile. "You explained it fine, I think I just psyched myself out." After a moment of thought, her smile grew a little more sure, and she said, "I want to try it again."
[Prince]
Marina waited a moment, her brow creased in concern, but soon she smiled brightly with a nod, "Alright… If you're sure. Gut thing too, we need to get back over somehow!" With a chuckle, she stood up, "Want me to demonstrate again, or are you confident in doing it?"
[Berry]
"You go first, I want to see it one more time. But, one sec --" Acacia jogged a few yards along the roof's edge, until she was far enough away that she'd be able to get a good view of Marina's jump from the side. "Okay, go ahead!"
[Prince]
Marina chuckled, "OK, watch closely!" Marina paced back, before running up to the ledge and taking a jump. Just like before, he tucked in and landed into a roll, before cheerfully standing up, "Did you see it? Be honest now!"
[Berry]
This time, instead of just watching Marina and hoping she could figure out the mechanics afterward, Acacia paid close attention to which parts of the body were used at key moments, and tried to imagine her own body moving in the same way. "Yeah, I really got it this time!" She backed up a few feet, flashed two thumbs up, and tried it again. Landing on the balls of her feet, she immediately tucked in her head and shoulders, rolling from her right shoulder to her left hip. Her momentum carried her forward a little more than she was prepared for, making her stumble forward when she came to her feet again, but her ecstatic grin didn't falter. "Yes!" she cheered, punching happily at the air. "I can't believe I did it!"
[Prince]
Marina grinned widely, giving her a thumbs up, "Prima, sehr gut, fantastisch! You're a natural!" She patted Acacia's back heartily, glowing with pride, "You'll be a pro in no time Acacia, seriously gut work! But well…" Marina chuckled coyly, "You did have help from the very best, after all!"
[Berry]
"I never could have done it without you, boss," Acacia returned playfully, though her gratitude was genuine. Glancing up at the sky, she asked Marina, "When do you think we should head back?"
[Prince]
"Hmm… Probably right now, I'd say. I'm sure those drei are done with their business," Marina murmured, looking up at the sky with her for a second, before looking back at Acacia with a smile, "You did really gut, Acacia. I'm seriously impressed. Let's head back, we deserve some rest!"
[Berry]
Rotating her left arm to test for any soreness, Acacia nodded in agreement. "That sounds good. I think I need to get some ice on this if I want it working like it should later," she mused as they began walking back toward the stairwell. "Thanks a lot, Marina," she said after a moment, her eyes creased in a gentle smile. "I really appreciate you helping me out."
[Prince]
"Eheh," Marina chuckled, trying hard to hide her bright, goofy grin, "Well… I was just happy to help, is all! Need to make sure all the members of Sector V can keep up, you know?" She folded her arms with another chuckle.
[Berry]
"Well, it's nice that someone's there to watch out for us newbies." When she got to the bottom of the stairs, Acacia turned to Marina and laughed, "Now, if I mess up, I can just blame it on your training methods!"
[Prince]
Marina rolled her eyes with a chuckle, "You're cunning, I'll give you that! C'mon, go off and get your ice. We'll see you later OK?"
[Berry]
"All right, see you in a bit," Acacia said with a wave, then took off at a jog toward the medical ward.
that is the best thing i've seen today, thank you
© 2007-2024