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 Posted: Sat Jan 27, 2024 5:49 am
It had been a little while since Daphne had seen Alastor, but she hadn't forgotten about his offer. She hadn't forgotten about her challenge. If she could get strong enough to fight someone as strong as him, especially someone with as much practice as him, from a place like Alastor where things were different than on Daphne, then maybe she could be strong enough to fight something like the Chaos on her world. If she could get strong enough to be the first one to beat him in a fight, ever, in a thousand years, that would really have to mean something. Also, she just really wanted to be that person. She'd been working some more on the basics in the meantime, mostly through what she could find on YouTube. She'd saved up her first few paychecks from her new job to get herself a decent phone, and while she waited for Alastor in the park, she had it propped up against a tree, playing a warmup stretch video. She followed along, leaning to one side and the other and then touching her toes.
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Posted: Sun Jan 28, 2024 3:03 pm
Alastor’s energy signature was distant at first, but it seemed as though once he was close enough to sense her, he arrived shortly afterwards.
“Daphne! I hope I didn’t keep you waiting long.” He was practically on time, which was a marvel in itself given that he’d been lost for the last eighteen minutes. Soleiyu’s GPS had worked wonders for him, but when Order signatures kept popping up in the park around him he’d made several accidental detours.
Alastor had jogged but didn’t seem like he’d broken a sweat in the process. The cool weather probably helped but it wasn’t like that was any great effort.
“It’s good to see you, you look well.” He had no intention of rushing her while she limbered up, but talking just came naturally in the meantime. “I’m surprised you didn’t want to spar while we weren’t powered up. I’ve already got a bit of an unfair boost,” he mused, gesturing to his wings without looking at them. “I suppose that means you’re serious about practice, though.”
She had to know she couldn’t win, not right now. But he was still eager to see where she was and, if he could help her get stronger, he would.
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Posted: Sun Jan 28, 2024 5:51 pm
She grabbed the phone and hopped up from stretching as soon as she heard his footsteps in the grass. "Alastor!" she said, in greeting. "Hi!" Should she have faced him powered down? Honestly, it wasn't a possibility that she had even considered. Maybe he was stronger than she was like this, but that was the gap she was trying to bridge. "I like being powered up when I can," she told him. "It feels more real. I don't mind Earth, but I hate pretending to be human." Maybe it was different for him. He was still from another world, but it wasn't like he had anything physical that he had to hide. Now, her tail swished behind her, free. She felt stronger like this, too. She felt more alive. She glanced, for a moment, at his Eternal wings. "Anyway, I'm not afraid of a challenge."
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Posted: Fri Feb 02, 2024 6:10 pm
Her chipper attitude immediately summoned a smile from Alastor. “Oh, I know. You’re brave, Daphne. Very respectable.”
In many ways, he was fortunate. He thought her tail was a clear indication of mood–at least, if she wanted it to be. Maybe she’d learned to mask those traits unique to her kind, or maybe she wasn’t used to having to. In any case, he didn’t have to deal with the extra burden of trying to pass for human.
He didn’t have to change anything about himself to look like he fit in. Maybe his fashion was a bit too much for Earth standards, or his affinity for social combat, but he’d learned to reel it in. For the most part.
“It would be much easier if the people of Earth had any awareness, but I’ve seen how petty and quick to rise they are. It’s probably for the best that they don’t know of other worlds. They’re a bit much for me, I rather like the quiet life.”
Well, sort of. He liked being able to have a quiet moment if he wanted it. It was very different from being perpetually forced into the spotlight and having demands and disasters thrust into your lap to deal with.
“Have you been practicing for this spar? Tell me what you’ve learned so far.”
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Posted: Sat Feb 03, 2024 3:05 pm
"Awareness doesn't always change much," said Daphne with a small shrug. "Daphneans knew about the wider community, but you still would have gotten as many stares there as I would on Earth if I went out like this in broad daylight. There were only a few places outsiders were allowed if they came to speak to us, and the diplomat role they were training me for involved making sure that we didn't have enemies, but that we also didn't get too close or owe favors." It didn't make it any less strange, being on the other side of it. For all of her her habits of running away, she'd never tried to leave Daphne. She'd never really thought that she would. There was too much she cared about close to home, things that she always came back to. Now she was here, and all that was gone. "Anyway," she said, and rolled her shoulders back, because she didn't need to dwell on that. "I've been trying some stances, and some punches." She put her feet railroad-track apart, shifted her weight, and raised her fists to demonstrate. "It was mostly on video though, and this one drop-in class." She hadn't had the money for more, and even with her job, she'd gone for the phone first. "I haven't had anyone to tell me if it's right."
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Posted: Tue Feb 06, 2024 2:53 pm
Learning about her world could have led Alastor to a moment of imagination if they weren’t already on schedule for something else. Someday, he’d like to hear more. Tonight, he was ready to see what she was made of.
“You’ve got a good pose like that, you look sturdy.”
He stood before her and spread his legs just slightly, digging his heels into the dirt a bit. “There are a lot of different ways to fight, and everyone’s got an opinion on what’s right or wrong. The important thing is that you find something you’re comfortable with, and play to your strengths. But know your weaknesses.”
He didn’t want her to think that he wasn’t taking this seriously, but he seemed relaxed already. It wasn’t that he didn’t think she was a threat, it was just that this was his element. He thrived under these conditions. If he’d been back on Alastor, if this had been his world, alive and well, this might as well have been a handshake.
“Show me what you can, I’ll tell you what I think. You don’t have to go easy on me, but don’t go so hard that you hurt yourself. Watch your fingers, especially your thumb. But we can start when you’re ready.”
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Posted: Thu Feb 08, 2024 5:24 pm
"I wasn't planning on holding back," said Daphne. She said it with a smile, but she meant it. Holding back wasn't how you won. Also, if he was so much stronger than her, that was even more reason not to pull punches. She hadn't thought about overdoing it to the point of getting hurt. She'd done her stretches to get ready, but she decided if she somehow messed up anyway, that would be part of the learning experience. She closed her eyes and took a breath, pulling her thoughts away from her world, and the chat they'd just been having. She was careful about her thumbs. She'd learned that part from the videos. They were curled to the side of her fingers, not tucked inside. Although, that wouldn't matter at this exact moment. Daphne opened her eyes and she tried to kick him.
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Posted: Wed Feb 14, 2024 12:23 am
Daphne had a lot of guts and a lot of drive, and even before she’d moved, Alastor was proud. She had an air of confidence about her that made him think of home. Maybe it was just because this battle wasn’t life or death but she moved easily. It felt like a game, or a dance.
Alastor side stepped her kick, but only slightly.
She seemed light on her feet, and fast.
He held his tongue and did not offer praise–yet–but it was already on his mind.
Alastor moved quickly past her while her leg was still up, but he only gave her shoulder a light push away before he planted himself facing her back.
He might not have said anything, but it was clear by the brightness of his eyes that he was enjoying himself.
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Posted: Sat Feb 24, 2024 4:56 pm
Oh, he was fast. Of course she'd known he was going to be, but it was different to just have those thoughts in her head that yes, he's an Eternal, he's a fighter. When she saw how gracefully he stepped out of her way and then moved back around to push her, her eyes went wide. Then, a split second later, she grinned. This was a challenge. It wasn't one she was going to overcome today, but that was okay. The adrenaline rushed through her whole body anyway. She stumbled a bit when he made contact, but she was light on her feet, too. She recovered herself, tail behind her for balance, and she looked him in the eye. "I'm at least going to get you once," she told him. Then she was springing forwards again, trying out a punch this time.
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Posted: Thu Feb 29, 2024 8:51 pm
Alastor gave her a look, in the split second between when she spoke and when her first was coming at him. Her knuckles brushed fabric, but he had a lot of that to spare. He remained unscathed.
“What if you can’t?” he asked, but she’d gotten close enough that he wanted her to hold onto that hope.
He hadn’t had a baseline to compare her skills to prior to this but he could see that she was taking it seriously. She was fast, she had good balance, and that tail of her gave her an advantage that Alastor could only imagine.
She was fierce, and pivoted quickly.
He hadn’t moved away as quickly this time as he did the first, and be it through deliberate effort or negligence, she had an opening while he was turning to face her.
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Posted: Sun Mar 03, 2024 4:24 pm
"Don't tell me what I can't do!" Daphne's pale eyes shone bright. It was getting more obvious that she wasn't very experienced, though. She knew the theory, but the attacks were experimental more than strategized, and she faltered once or twice from the stance as the fight went on. She did, however, catch the opening. She stayed close to him, aiming a fist towards his ribs.
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Posted: Fri Mar 08, 2024 1:10 am
Her fist made contact.
It wasn’t hard enough to be painful, but Alastor might have found a bruise there tomorrow. “Oh, good eye!” She moved quickly, she deserved praise. Her technique was imperfect but she was spirited, and Alastor would offer constructive criticism to see that grow. He wanted to train with her, wanted to teach her what he knew. Wanted to put his years of experience to good use.
Of course, with her in close contact and an unstable stance, he hooked an arm around her waist and hoisted her up on one shoulder.
“You’re fast. And you’ve got a really strong spirit. You’re going to be a great fighter if you stick to it. But I don’t know about these videos, you might do better with more hands on guidance. Let me give you some tips so you can hit with more force?”
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Posted: Sat Mar 16, 2024 6:25 am
She'd done it! she'd hit him. She'd done what she was trying to do. She grinned, and then relaxed. Alastor hadn't stopped moving, though. A second later, his arm was around her, and her feet were off the ground. If this was a real fight, she'd be expecting to get thrown to the ground or something very soon. "Okay. Point taken," she said, and then started wriggling. "Don't let your guard down." He was very skilled at this. She could already tell. "I know the videos aren't enough. That's why I came to you," she told him. "Did you see enough? Can you tell me what I need to work on?"
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Posted: Wed Mar 20, 2024 1:41 pm
Alastor laughed as he set her down. “Yeah, I saw enough. We could keep going, but you need to find your confidence.” He stood before her nothing short of proud; she had a good foundation and she had built it herself. She deserved to think highly of what she had managed to accomplish on her own.
“How long do you have tonight? I can correct some of your posture. It’ll feel more natural for you to hit. But then it’s just a lot of repetition. Like walking, you can do it without thinking. You just have to learn how your movement and your weight affects you, and then you can worry about how to make it affect your enemy. I don’t suppose you’ve got a gym you go to? You don’t need one, they just have everything you need, there. Though, I suppose you really only need something to hit.”
Air would only get her so far, she honestly seemed like a fast learner. Her dedication made it easy to assume she’d succeed in just about anything she put her mind to.
“I think you’ll benefit most from getting comfortable with your fist making contact. I think I felt you hesitate when you hit me.” Maybe she was reluctant to hurt him, maybe she doubted herself. “But you’re on the right track. A faster learner than me, I think. There’s something that just feels right when your hit connects. Like you know you’re doing something right. Did you feel the adrenaline? When it drives you, when it demands more. I chase it, I can’t help it. I like to win.”
It wasn’t always about staying alive, but he fought for fun. “A lot of the fighting styles on Alsator are flashy,” he admitted, “But that’s because a fight’s a performance. Well.” He shrugged. “It used to be, most of the time. I can tell you’re light on your feet, you're fast. I use my weight more than my speed, but you have to have a balance. How I fight isn’t exactly how they teach you on Earth, but if it’s anything you can make use of, I’ll be glad to share.”
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Posted: Fri Mar 22, 2024 1:03 pm
"I don't have a gym membership," she told him, "But I could get one! I have a job now!" The lack of money was also part of why she hadn't gone to any official fighting classes yet, but now there was starting to be more that she could do. At least, she'd sign up for classes if that was what Alastor thought that she should do. She was hanging onto every word he said, nodding at every idea. She had even more respect for him now that she'd gotten a demonstration of what she could do, and she knew that she'd need both more practice and more strength to be able to face him properly. She would get there. "I like the adrenaline," she told him. "I feel it." She was still feeling it. She smiled, and gave a punch to the air for good measure. "I get it running, too. That's why I run so much." That had been the main way that she'd cleared her head for years. Now, she was finding another. "I have enough time for us to go through what we need to. Repetition." She'd known that she had the evening free when she'd agreed to come out here. She'd also known that it was going to be hard work and not just quick adrenaline filled scuffles involved in training. She'd accepted that. She needed to get stronger. The only thing she didn't have was a punching bag.
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