True enough, the senshi hadn't really patrolled the city, seeking out a fight. Instead she had kept to a steady training regiment which spanned the same territory of the park. It was free to just do laps around the park rather than run on a treadmill in a gym two blocks down the road. Not to mention that those gyms weren't built for the sort of person who had magical powers now.
Thanks to the boost of the strange uniform she wore, the girl had set many new personal bests in various arenas, and though she now pushed forward to surpass those new bests, the fact was the magic had helped boost her to a new level altogether.
Twenty laps around the park seemed to by like nothing, leaving Antiope rather anxious to start up her next exercises. However, the debate was where to go next. Strengthening exercises or tests of her poise?
Stretching both of her long sleeves forward, she stretched while rolling her neck.
"...it's so quiet tonight..."
Carneli
"I can agree with that," Galena responded as she strutted into plain view. She hadn't been lurking long, rather, she had sensed Antiope's aura during one of her laps and her slow pace stalled her arrival to where the mantis senshi rested.
"You're good at causing a bit of ruckus, though," She added with a small twinge of something in her naturally stiff face that seemed to be meant as affection. Sometimes it was hard to tell. Even with the harsh make up accentuating her pale features, Galena just generally didn't move her face muscles out of their set resting expression.
She was aimlessly wandering again, stomach in knots over another night short of quota. Speaking with the senshi who had shared her tea with her seemed miles better than moping on a park bench, though.
"How are you on this still evening, Ms. Antiope? I hope I've found you well."
"You're good at causing a bit of ruckus, though," She added with a small twinge of something in her naturally stiff face that seemed to be meant as affection. Sometimes it was hard to tell. Even with the harsh make up accentuating her pale features, Galena just generally didn't move her face muscles out of their set resting expression.
She was aimlessly wandering again, stomach in knots over another night short of quota. Speaking with the senshi who had shared her tea with her seemed miles better than moping on a park bench, though.
"How are you on this still evening, Ms. Antiope? I hope I've found you well."
The girl practically jumped out of her skin as a familiar face announced itself so suddenly.
Other senshi might have paid enough attention to auras to notice someone's approach, but Antiope was too focused on herself to worry about those sorts of distractions.
"Oh... my goodness... when did you get here, Galena?!"
The little Mantis Senshi meandered over to the Lieutenant's side, seeming to have a curious and vaguely wary pace to her movements.
"...I don't know why you are so formal... you can just call me Anti... no Ms.... none of that full name stuff..." Standing herself to her full, yet still relatively tiny height, she seemed to eyeball the other girl.
"I suspect I am well... otherwise I wouldn't be out and training. Injury makes for ineffective training, and I prefer my training to be useful!"
Folding her hands together so her two sleeves were pressed together, the girl moved her head slightly to the side. "So what are you doing tonight? Just hanging around?"
Carneli
"I... I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you," Galena said with an embarrassed flush to her cheeks. "I caught a glimpse of your aura as you ran by. I didn't run to keep up, my heels are not... this uniform doesn't move very well."
She straightened up and cleared her throat.
"Formality is just... it's just what I was taught to be safe to not offend. I'm sorry, I can try to be more... more casual. It's just casual is something I typically see for friends and I don't... have many..."
She stopped the stilted ramble and looked worried, and then cast her eyes downward just slightly.
"Regardless, erm... Anti. I'm glad you're in good health." She fiddled with twisting on finger on the end of her glove . "I was supposed to be out patrolling and gathering energy. You see, we're given quotas to meet but I'm not... very good at it. Most people decline when asked politely. Others have been known to attack, especially if they're powered. I'm not a good fighter, and therefore I'm rather... embarrassingly ineffective."
She looked the senshi up and down and mirrored her head tilt. "Might I ask what you're training for?"
She straightened up and cleared her throat.
"Formality is just... it's just what I was taught to be safe to not offend. I'm sorry, I can try to be more... more casual. It's just casual is something I typically see for friends and I don't... have many..."
She stopped the stilted ramble and looked worried, and then cast her eyes downward just slightly.
"Regardless, erm... Anti. I'm glad you're in good health." She fiddled with twisting on finger on the end of her glove . "I was supposed to be out patrolling and gathering energy. You see, we're given quotas to meet but I'm not... very good at it. Most people decline when asked politely. Others have been known to attack, especially if they're powered. I'm not a good fighter, and therefore I'm rather... embarrassingly ineffective."
She looked the senshi up and down and mirrored her head tilt. "Might I ask what you're training for?"
Perhaps if she were a bit more curious, the senshi would have asked about this talk of auras. However, ignorance was bliss, and Antiope was quite happy to skip talk of boring things like auras. There were better subjects to talk about.
"I train for Wushu! It is basically martial arts tournaments!"
She pulled both of her sleeves apart and rather proudly took up a Mantis stance.
"I don't know why they'd attack you in all honesty! You seem nice enough!"
There were clearly some intricacies to this whole Senshi and Negaverse thing that the little senshi clearly did not understand.
With an eager smile, the girl inquired "I am curious... if you had to fight me... what would you do? Show me, Gal!"
Carneli
"Oh, I see. An organized sport?" That made more sense to Galena than anything to do with the war and she nodded with enthusiastic understanding.
"Ah, well. I think from what I've gathered, your side is supposed to stop my side from doing... well I'm not sure what we're doing is so bad. Sometimes I'm forced to steal but I try to always ask and it's just a big of energy. You would feel right as rain after a nap."
The lieutenant had a better grasp than Antiope, but it wasn't much better.
"I suppose it's someone's twisted game of capture the flag, almost? Although I'd hate to think all of this ugliness was over a game with no real purpose."
Antiope's question drew an expression from Galena that made her look like a deer in the headlights. "I-I... um..."
She drew her hands up close to her body and hid her mouth behind her fingers. "I... I'm not sure. I don't really like to fight. I definitely wouldn't want to fight you. It's very unladylike."
"Ah, well. I think from what I've gathered, your side is supposed to stop my side from doing... well I'm not sure what we're doing is so bad. Sometimes I'm forced to steal but I try to always ask and it's just a big of energy. You would feel right as rain after a nap."
The lieutenant had a better grasp than Antiope, but it wasn't much better.
"I suppose it's someone's twisted game of capture the flag, almost? Although I'd hate to think all of this ugliness was over a game with no real purpose."
Antiope's question drew an expression from Galena that made her look like a deer in the headlights. "I-I... um..."
She drew her hands up close to her body and hid her mouth behind her fingers. "I... I'm not sure. I don't really like to fight. I definitely wouldn't want to fight you. It's very unladylike."
Without even shifting from her stance, Antiope considered the offered information briefly before announcing "That's dumb! I think I'll just keep doing what I do and not worry about it!"
Which currently meant looking at what seemed like a dazed Galena. After briefly stating her uncertainties about this exercise, the senshi explained "It's not a fight, it's sparring! There is a difference! Learn to defend yourself... I mean, I could attack you and you could defend, but I figured I would give you the benefit and get the first strike."
Turning her head slightly to face her own extended "mantis claw," she stated "Ultimately, it is your call... but you might as well get something out of the quiet night, right?"
Carneli
"Oh, right, I'm sorry," Galena sounded like she was trying to hold it together. She had already offended someone once and for a second there looked like she was in mid panic as she briefly feared she had done the same to Antiope.
But she relaxed when she saw the girl wasn't offended, but the stance she was in still left Galena with an expression of befuddlement.
"Okay," She said, inhaling deeply and flaring her nostrils, arms straightening at her side with stiff determination. "I will try to... s... spar."
She took careful stock of Antiope's stance and tried to reposition her legs, lifting her arms. "Okay well I suppose the proper thing to do would be to... punch?" She murmured and made a very weak attempt at demonstrating.
But she relaxed when she saw the girl wasn't offended, but the stance she was in still left Galena with an expression of befuddlement.
"Okay," She said, inhaling deeply and flaring her nostrils, arms straightening at her side with stiff determination. "I will try to... s... spar."
She took careful stock of Antiope's stance and tried to reposition her legs, lifting her arms. "Okay well I suppose the proper thing to do would be to... punch?" She murmured and made a very weak attempt at demonstrating.
Even if her powers were related to the Praying Mantis, Antiope was most in her element when in a fight. Even a fight being called "sparring."
There was a sort of ease to the senshi's movement as she considered the striking fist, then countered appropriately according to Northern Mantis fighting stance.
Rather than block with a full arm or merely dodge, the green suited senshi struck with one of her sleeve-hidden-claws, if only to redirect the Lieutenant's strike away from Antiope.
Somewhat holding Galena in place after pushing her attack off course, the girl cheerfully explained "Well, you need to work on strengthening the force behind your strikes too... but one way to 'defend' is to merely redirect the attack, use the opponent's force against themselves. Leave it so there is an opening to strike."
The senshi grinned a bit before slipping in close and using her fingers (still hidden in sleeves) to attempt tickling Galena's side. She couldn't help but let out a couple giggles of her own as she did such a silly thing.
