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 Posted: Sun Jan 18, 2015 6:37 pm
Galena was less than pleased with the way things had been happening. The embarrassment of her actions at the New Years operation and subsequent questioning sessions were not things she wanted to be remembered by. Her failure at appearing imposing or frightening and the fact she had been taken out by a fellow officer on accident were bruises he ego would never recover.
She needed a change, and she had already laid the foundation for the change she wanted to see with a senshi she hoped would be out and about.
So with an offering of jasmine tea packed and bundled under her arm, Galena waited for her training partner where they had last met, hoping providence would be kind tonight.
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Posted: Sun Jan 18, 2015 6:56 pm
She had a phone now! Antiope had one of those elusive Senshi phones now! The only problem was that she didn't really understand how to use it. It meant that outerspace would have to wait until she could sort that thing out.
Which meant the Mantis Senshi was back to her regular training schedule.
Her movements were slow and controlled as she worked through another martial arts form. Though it looked as if her eyes were shut, they were not. She could see a figure approaching, and her already slow movements slowed down even more, to the point of barely moving at all.
"I think I saw you the other night..." the Mantis senshi bluntly stated as the Lieutenant approached.
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Posted: Sun Jan 18, 2015 7:12 pm
Galena's face visibly brightened in the way it seemed to only do for Antiope these days. But it didn't take long for her brow to knit at the response. "Did you? Where?"
As much as she adored the smaller girl, she was still on the wrong side. Even if she occasionally saw visions that hinted that might not be forever, their acquaintanceship was only so fragile.
"I mean, if you don't mind my asking. I came out here to see you tonight, you know," She said, pulling the insulated cup from her bundle and handing it out in offering. "Not comparable to your matcha, but I enjoy it."
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Posted: Sun Jan 18, 2015 7:42 pm
The girl seemed to almost pause in her movements as Galena spoke, but eventually the pace resumed to the normal pace before she straightened up to a resting position.
"That New Year's thing... I was there with my parents... things got crazy... I ended up chasing a Starcat... I saw you at some point... no clue what was going on there though!"
Based off how chipper her tone was, it seemed as if this Mantis Senshi truly was oblivious to what the chaos actually was dealing with the Ball.
The girl tilted her head towards the offered cup with a smile. "I do love Matcha, but all teas have their own special personality! What kind did you bring, Gal?"
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Posted: Sun Jan 18, 2015 8:15 pm
Galena seemed to freeze in mid offering. Mintaka had been captured, and Antiope claiming to have been so nearby.
"I-... I see."
Her hand trembled a bit, but she was glad to hand the cup over.
"I- it's... um. It's jasmine," She paused, feeling a lump in her throat. "I've been rather fond of it these days, since another one of your kind served it to me. Mintaka."
She seemed to be gauging Antiope's face for a reaction. Did she know anything or was she truly oblivious. But besides that, she had another purpose for coming here. "Antiope, that... I didn't exactly fare well in that battle. I need to be more serious about this learning to fight and I think... well you've already taught me so much."
And didn't come with the added humiliation of needing to confess inadequacy to a fellow officers.
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Posted: Sun Jan 18, 2015 8:41 pm
"Ah Jasmine, where have you been?!" With enthusiasm, the girl took a gentle sip from the cup, inhaling deeply afterwards as if she was savoring the flavor.
After the long inhale, she girl seemed to perk up a bit. "Didn't know you knew Minny! I taught her a bit about Crane style, since her uniform has so many little birds all over it and all!"
She took another sip, seemingly unbothered by the mention of the Senshi of Origami. "I need to catch up with her at some point... maybe she can help me with my new phone..."
Upon the third sip of her tea, she managed to catch the Lieutenant's explanation about needing training.
"You want to learn to fight for real?" If she hadn't been holding so carefully to her cup of tea, the Mantis Senshi probably would have clapped her hands together. "That sounds fun, Gal!"
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Posted: Tue Jan 20, 2015 7:19 pm
"Yes, we've... met." Galena said with an awkward clearing of her throat. She didn't know if Mintaka had made it out of the operation dead or alive, but no one had made it out whole.
Keeping composure, she managed a plastic smile at Antiope's enthusiastic acceptance of her offering and held up her own cup with a dainty nod. After a few sips she nodded and sent her things down with a small pat and stood up straight.
"We've gone over some basics, but that's not enough. My progress has been unacceptable."
She kicked off her cumbersome heels, which she had refused to relinquish in previous instances when that really would have helped. But Galena was trying a new course of action, and a lot of that involved taking a deep breath and disregarding things like the manner of ones dress in order to be practical.
And she assumed a stance that was a relative, even if not totally accurate, attempt at one she had seen Antiope take.
"I would appreciate further instruction, if you don't mind."
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Posted: Tue Jan 20, 2015 7:34 pm
Antiope wasn't so willing to relinquish her cup of tea quite yet. And fortunately, she wasn't exactly going to have to yet. Though Galena had rid herself of those ridiculous shoes, even her best imitation of a fighting stance left much for the Senshi to desire.
Rather than put down the tea, the Mantis Senshi stepped forward, circling like a vulture about the Lieutenant.
"Do you know what that stance even is? The style it represents? The beliefs in regards to offense and defense?"
With her own little Asian slipper, she lifted her leg and tapped the calf of the girl with her own toes. "You are too tense here and would likely cause a cramp if you force the leg like this for too long."
Still clinging to her cup of tea with her sleeves, the girl then very suddenly lifted her leg up so that the toe then pointed at the arm Galena held too. There was a good chance Antiope had no modesty, for her undergarments were easily showing.
"Your arms are too close together as well, which will restrict your range initially."
Setting her leg back down to the ground, Antiope merely sipped on her tea once more.
"You aren't ready for that stuff... in all honesty... I would rather see what you are capable of now... then work with what would be part of your strengths, rather than just shape you to fighting like me."
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Posted: Wed Jan 21, 2015 6:47 pm
"N-no..." Galena faltered in her confidence almost instantly. "You haven't told me."
Her own way of putting it back on Antiope. She was her instructor! "I assumed offensive... perhaps... I mean, you usually take this before you strike, correct?" She stumbled over her own words as she adjusted her calf awkwardly at the nudging.
"Like this?" She asked as she over corrected the way her arms were spaced.
"Very well. Fight me, then."
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Posted: Wed Jan 21, 2015 6:54 pm
Seeming to finally finish off the final drops of tea from her cup, the little Asian girl wandered to Galena's stash and set the cup down gently so it wouldn't get damaged.
Before returning in front of the Lieutenant, the girl couldn't help but scratch her chin with her sleeve. "I am pretty sure I didn't even legitimately strike you in our last spar... so on that account, your assumption would be incorrect."
Tickling definitely was not a legitimate strike.
However, the girl dropped her arms and shook her arms to her sides, rolling her shoulders forward and back as she put herself in a proper place in front of Galena. Rather suddenly, the senshi dropped her arms to her side and shut the gap between her legs before bowing formally.
"You do this prior to a spar to show that you respect your opponent." Releasing herself from that narrowed position, the little senshi took on a stance that more accurately represented the Northern Mantis fighting style.
"More like this... but I would suggest you take on a stance you are more familiar and capable of using..."
That would be the last warning.
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Posted: Wed Jan 21, 2015 7:04 pm
"I see..." Galena said, looking down at her own stance and trying some corrections again. She had seen street fighting, never anything as formal as Antiope's marshal arts. But she did have a general idea ingrained in her.
She held her legs in a firmr stance, parallel to her shoulders. Adjusted her arms and brought her elbows closer and her wrists higher, shifting a bit as if testing it out.
"I am sure this is entirely incorrect," She said with a defeated sigh already.
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Posted: Wed Jan 21, 2015 7:11 pm
"Yes, it is!"
Antiope wasn't shy about her assessments.
"However, we will fix that later... right now, we FIGHT!"
With that announcement, the Mantis Senshi bolted forward, firmly pinching her sleeves in a way that made her finger positioning a bit more evident beneath the silky cloth covering them. The first time she had worked with the Lieutenant, Antiope had held back, where as this time there was a lot less restraint on her part.
Within a moment, the senshi had already gotten uncomfortably close and soon enough was swiping one of her sleeves out towards the Lieutenant, seemingly aiming for her neck.
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Posted: Wed Jan 21, 2015 7:39 pm
Galena dodged. Sort of. But it was not graceful at all.
Her strong core stance was abandoned instantly to flail her arms in front of her in defense of her neck, managing to get hit in the hand, driving it back into her collarbone and sending her to the ground.
"O-oh dear..." She whimpered instead of making any kind of exclamation. Her move to get on her feet wasn't with the most defensive mannerisms, either.
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Posted: Wed Jan 21, 2015 8:09 pm
It was almost like beating an innocent puppy dog that didn't know how to do anything except give puppy eyes. However, this had been what Galena had wanted, and Antiope was more than willing to give her what she had asked for.
When the Lieutenant had effectively knocked herself down, the Mantis senshi did not relent in the slightest. As her opponent attempted to right herself, the small senshi used a heel kick to try and keep Galena down, accented with a simple "Kya!"
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Posted: Thu Jan 22, 2015 5:49 am
Galena hadn't really been expecting Antiope's declaration of seriousness to be well... serious. She seemed genuinely shocked she wasn't even being given the opportunity to get back on her feet as she took the brunt of the kick and fell backwards again, visibly cringing from the pain.
After that it seemed to click in her head, and Galena's next move was a little more competent in moving back to give herself some distance between Antiope before she got up in a quick, defensive scramble. After she was on her feet, she did stop to cringe again and move her hand over where the smaller girl's foot made impact.
She didn't move to close the distance between them, but she caught on that Antiope would likely strike again, and seemed more instinctively ready to block or dodge as she stayed where she was.
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