Welcome to Gaia! ::

Tempesti’s agility training was going well, relatively speaking. She’d fallen significantly less over the past few sessions and her times were improving by the day. Considering the fact that both of her sisters had taken to dropping by at inopportune moments to make sure that she was taking what they deemed an appropriate amount of time to rest, it was a wonder that she was making any progress at all.

Sprinting through the park, veering from her course in sharp turns, sudden leaps, all mimicked by the lavender wisp she’d come to accept as a regular patrol companion. Yes, she was improving. It showed in the definition beginning to shape her limbs, the force with which she was able to unbalance that Tempestine construct. It was never enough though. It wouldn’t be enough when facing something like that Chaotic force she’d seen unleashed against Harold. Even contemplating the pursuit of such power clashed with something fundamental within her, but getting strong enough to withstand it and protect others from that ruthless hubris? That was something worth striving for.

The sensation of another Order-aligned aura slowed the mental barrage, brought her to a halt as she scanned the area in the hopes of spotting the unseen potential ally among the trees. With a bit of luck she spotted another white clad senshi, seemingly engaged in training of her own. “Hello there!” She gave a friendly wave, hoping the stranger wouldn’t mind the company.

It seemed as though she wasn’t the only senshi interested in using this park as a training ground and the thought of a possible park ranger coverup once more wandered into the forefront of her mind. She wasn’t much of a conspiracy theorist, but the ubiquity of parks in supernatural encounters certainly lent itself to the idea.

Biting wasn’t among the possibilities Tempesti had been contemplating as she approached, though given the nature of the city it wasn’t exactly an unreasonable announcement. She looked the other senshi over, curiosity piqued by her infectious enthusiasm. With an excitable looking bounce, the wisp placed itself between them before moving to hover by the sidelines.

Punches weren’t quite the senshi’s strongest skill, but it couldn’t hurt to give it a try. It couldn’t hurt to work on different areas. Well, it could and probably would hurt, but building up their more physical abilities had to be at least a decent idea.

“I don’t usually fight physically, but I’d be happy to give it a try.” She rolled her shoulders as she spoke.

Tempesti had a general idea of how to throw a punch without injuring herself. At least, she hoped she was remembering correctly. Keep her thumb outside the fist, keep her arm straight but not locked, right? She’d feel it tomorrow if she was misremembering, so that would be another way to know.

“I’ve read about it, and I’ve punched a few youma.” She was usually more of a rock thrower if she wasn’t using magic, but that wasn’t a lie. A small number of youma had been on the receiving end of one of her (likely fairly underwhelming) fists. “But I could definitely use a…tutorial to be sure.”

She watched as the other senshi unwind the tape, realizing that she really had no idea what it was for or how it contributed to safety. “I’m Sailor Tempesti, senshi of harpies. How does ruthlessness work for magic? Does it make you harsher?” This sort of thing always sent her curiosity into overdrive.

Tempesti held out her hands, laughing softly at the other senshi’s characterization of harpies. It certainly wasn’t inaccurate, though they’d been cooperative since she’d stabilized her magic. “That’s one way of putting it, though I’m used to them now. Lovely to meet you too.”

She listened intently as the young woman explained her own sphere. It sounded like a useful thing for a senshi to have in reserve, especially when used in tandem with their own physical abilities. Certainly less unsettling than something that would bend your moral makeup, even temporarily. Still, she wasn’t entirely certain she’d want to try it. At least not right away. “Let’s just try this first,” she held up her wrapped hands and wrists, “I think it would be good to learn without magical enhancement.”

Tempesti nodded as Iapetus spoke, relieved that her attitude met with the girl’s approval. The other senshi was clearly more experienced in matters of physical combat than she was, so following her lead definitely felt like the correct course of action. Looking between her wrapped limbs and the teal-haired girl, she struggled to assess the best place to plant her fist. It was a much more difficult decision than she would have imagined.

When she fought a youma her goal was to dust it, distance it temporarily from the city and its civilians. Even if hurting it wasn’t the point of the battle, it was an unfortunate inevitability. Put bluntly, the face was a convenient and practical target on the rare occasions when she chose to use her fists. Sparring with an ally, however, limited her options and despite her assurances that she need not worry about potential injuries, it was impossible for Tempesti to set aside her concerns.

Taking a few deep, anxious breaths she took a swing at the general area of Iapetus’ ribs.

“Well, I’m really not much of a puncher.” Her expression shifted into sheepishness, “And I was still worried about hurting you. I know you said not to, but it’s not easy.”

A startled noise bearing an unattractive resemblance to a squawk escaped Tempesti as her legs evacuated their preferred location and sent her toward the ground. Fighting the instinctive urge to unleash her magic, she managed to haul herself back to her feet before Iapetus could grapple her again.

With a quick spring Tempesti jumped over the other senshi, landing behind the girl and attempting to pin her arms with a bear hug. As she committed to the motion, she found herself becoming very conscious of the height difference between them.

Tempesti would have been lying if she claimed that she didn’t overthink…most everything when it came to combat, especially when she was sparring with an ally. But that’s why she was here. To get better. At punching. She could do that. Or at least get less terrible at it. Iapetus definitely seemed to know what she was doing, so she’d do well to listen.

Right. The teleportation. Tempesti remembered the sight of that pompous officer closing the distance between them with a blink. Even if she hadn’t fought many Negaverse agents, that detail did complicate matters. Not that the other senshi gave her much time to contemplate that factor. Turned out that attempting to grapple someone almost a head taller than her was a less than advisable idea, as the decidedly uncomfortable position she found herself in demonstrated. For several moments she considered attempting to climb onto the girl’s back, though she suspected that digging the heels of her boots into someone’s spine and/or ribs wouldn’t be the best course of action during a friendly sparring match. Keeping that in mind, she went limp and hoped for the off chance that she might be able to wriggle out.