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 Posted: Sat Dec 23, 2006 6:28 pm
Khutulan swatted her teenage nephew firmly across the bare back with a switch, scowling and tapping her foot as he merely grunted and shifted his stance slightly, correcting it. He was obviously used to it now, and much less prone to mistakes, if one was to judge by how far his scars had healed.
Tsai Shen was sweating lightly, but training since noon could do that to a boy. It was dusk now, and he slowly executed the strike he'd been directed to do, moving to a nuetral position. Done, he shifted his eyes to the tall, lean woman, who raised an eyebrow, the closest she got to approval.
"Again. Slower."
Goddammit.
The black-haired, brown-eyed woman could pass for either Earth Kingdom, or Fire Nation, other than her tan that matched the teenager's, and strolled away, not bothering to watch him. As she moved to the back of the house, leaving the courtyard he was in, she tossed a comment over her shoulder, going to answer the front door.
"Your ankle is rotating incorrectly. Again. Slower."
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Posted: Sat Dec 23, 2006 7:12 pm
Li Ren preferred the private instruction of her uncle. It had been the backbone of her training these many years, but as he had wisely observed, no single person could teach her all the tricks and thus she had found her way to Khutulan's school. Though not a frequent face, she had become a familiar one during the past odd months since she had first arrived at the school's gates.
She would have come earlier, but juggling the life of dutiful daughter and military hopeful was not an easy task. Her afternoon had been devoted to listening to her fiance regale her with long-winded tales of the hardships he faced in his cadet training that inevitably included that statement 'oh, but you wouldn't understand.' His well-meaning reassurances that she needn't worry about anything and that he was sure to be respectably ranked by the time they were married had been the cherry on top of a terrible meeting.
When he had finally left, she had wasted no time stripping herself of the ridiculous layers of clothing and bolting from the house with her dual chakram secured at her waist. She had arrived at Khutulan's school shortly after and now waited at the front gate to be let inside. She desperetely needed to hit something hard.
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Posted: Sat Dec 23, 2006 7:30 pm
One really couldn't say that Khutulan felt the emotion of affection, but if she did feel something akin to it, it was for young Li Ren. She was very supportive of strong women, forcing people to either respect her, or submit to her, and she didn't ask any questions of the teenager that came to her for instruction. Stepping back to allow her in, the woman retied her hair firmly in place, and ran her brown eyes over her face, scanning.
"We are doing stances today. However, if you'd like to... Spar, there's a punching bag out back."
Khutulan was refering to her abused Nephew. Who was still slowly repeating the same strike with his foot. All of her students called her by her first name, Tsai Shen wasn't even allowed to call her Aunt. Or at least, not to her face.
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Posted: Sat Dec 23, 2006 8:17 pm
Li Ren bowed her head slightly in greeting and followed Khutulan through the gateway. In Khutulan, Li Ren saw a woman who she could easily look up to and relate to, as she surely had dealt with her fair share of being undermined simply for being a woman as well. Her uncle must have realized this when he had made the initial recommendation.
"No stances today," she replied smoothly. She simply didn't have the patience for it right now, though she was loathe to vocalize this fact. She surveyed Tsai Shen dispassionately, sizing him up from afar. He would do. "I don't believe I've been introduced."
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Posted: Sat Dec 23, 2006 8:27 pm
Tsai Shen put his foot down, when he heard them approach, and his charming grin appeared as he picked up a cloth to wipe his face and shoulders with before approaching. Sticking out a now dry palm to shake her hand, he was obviously the companionable sort. How strange that he was related to Khutulan.
"I'm Tsai Shen! You must be Li Ren; I've heard about you."
Gringringrin. Khutulan spoke, idly waving the switch at him as he spoke, causing the 6'2" male to shy away almost girlishly.
"My nephew. A bit of a spoiled disappointment, due to his wealthy parents."
However, the slight warmth in her voice spoke of her approval for the boy. Now, though, she smiled, always a bad sign, and patted him on the shoulder with the thin reed.
"I've been gentle with you today, for I didn't want you too bruised when Li Ren came to tutor you."
By tutor, she meant beat him to a pulp. Tsai Shen swallowed.
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Posted: Sat Dec 23, 2006 9:22 pm
"It would seem my day is blessed with spoiled, wealthy boys today," Li Ren shook his hand firmly, favoring him with her own charming smile in response. Her amiableness, however, seemed far less genuine at the moment.
"Don't worry," she added at his brief display of nerves, falling gracefully into a fighting stance, taunting him playfully, "I'll be sure to leave your pretty little face in tact."
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Posted: Sat Dec 23, 2006 9:45 pm
"Ah, but your face is far more striking, Li Ren, and mine has already been scarred."
Tsai Shen's thin, flexible fighting rod was leaned against the wall of the courtyard, within easy reach if she chose to pull a weapon during their sparring match. The boy slid into his own form a little more forcefully, obviously reminiscent of his Earth Bending training, and grinned at her.
"I am rather pretty though, aren't I?"
Khutulan made a slight clicking noise with her tongue, switch resting on her shoulders, and she folded her arms to watch.
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Posted: Sun Dec 24, 2006 8:39 am
Li Ren mimicked Khutulan, tsking softly. "Stupid, arrogant boy," she began pleasantly, though her face and body were both poised with intensity as if she was ready to spring at him any moment, "If you're so fond of your scars, you won't mind if I add a few more."
With that she moved quickly towards him, aiming for his chest with her fist to make the opening blow. The move was intended more so to feel him out rather than to gain an advantage just yet, however she was ready to make short work of him if he proved to be a wholly unworthy opponent.
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Posted: Sun Dec 24, 2006 10:39 am
She wasn't fighting at full force yet, that was obvious, perhaps they both needed a warm up. Of course, at the moment, Tsai Shen had to be far more limber, having worked out during the day. However, he was a lot more tired, and a lot less aggressive. His smile faltered as Li Ren turned from what he considered playful to flat out rude. She didn't know him at all. What was it with other's stereotyping him for his smile and wealth? Avani had done the same thing at first.
Frowning, he easily took a sliding step backwards and to the side, sending a firm open palmed fist toward her ribs with speed. His combat style had definately blended with his bending, although he was using no earth at the moment. His strike was a little faster, but still testing the waters. He assumed she was faster than he, and wanted to be able to moved out of the way quickly.
Khutulan was never one to talk during a fight, but she noticed that a lot of people, especially younger ones, did so. Craving a cup of tea, and wanting to read the latest letter her niece had sent her, the trainer left the two to move inside.
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Posted: Sun Dec 24, 2006 2:57 pm
Li Ren didn't care if Tsai Shen was poor or rich, cheerful or brooding, but her mouth quirked into a smile as she saw she had hit a sore spot with him. She took strength in knowing that she was capable of getting under her opponent's skin.
To make up for her gender's shortcomings in terms of strength, Li Ren had indeed spent many years training herself in swift, well-aimed movements and honing her quick reflexes. Though she possessed none of the talent required of firebenders, she unknowingly moved like one. Watching Li Ren fight it was easy to be tricked into thinking anyone could perform as she did for she made it all look effortless, though it was far from.
As Tsai Shen observed, at the moment Li Ren was indeed warming up as playing hostess all afternoon had afforded her little more than some tight muscles which were preventing her from moving as quickly as she would have liked. "If you hold back because I'm a girl, I'll never forgive you," she said fiercely, and blocked his blow with her forearm, taking the opening to strike at his chest with her other hand.
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Posted: Sun Dec 24, 2006 3:38 pm
Distracted momentarily by her grace, Tsai Shen moved a fraction slower to evade her than he normally would, responding as she almost scored a firm hit.
"Don't be idiotic, Khutulan taught me better than that. Don't underestimate me because I'm male."
The knuckles of her striking hand brushed his bare chest, and Tsai Shen immediantly sped up, shifting into a Dop Som [Dragon Spirit] stance, familiar to the Hun Gar style. With astonishing agility he executed one of the forms circular, sneaky moves with his hands, feigning to attack with the right, while bringing his left around to strike at her kneecap, hard.
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Posted: Sun Dec 24, 2006 7:04 pm
Unfamiliar with the disciplines of the other nations, Li Ren was caught unaware by Tsai Shen's sneak attack. The strike connected soundly and Li Ren lost her footing, wincing slightly as she fell back. As she neared the ground, Li Ren caught herself and using her new vantage point to her advantage she made a sweeping kick with her leg, hoping to use Tsai Shen's ungainly height against him.
"I'll keep that in mind."
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Posted: Sun Dec 24, 2006 7:20 pm
"Argh!"
Somewhat low already, due to dropping to strike her knee, Tsai Shen's height didn't hamper him too badly, however, the male got a foot in the ankle, and grunted as he was forced to catch himself with a hand. A Butterfly form was adopted for speed and fluidity, and he pushed himself away, pausing several feet away to catch his breath, and narrow his eyes, evaluating her even as he moved into the Hoy Dar Kuen [Leopard], designed for high-powered assaults.
He'd already been tired out during the day, and Li Ren was good, and fast. Tsai Shen already knew that she was more skilled than he, it was simply a matter of time. In fact, his tone was admiring when he spoke.
"Very impressive... You remind me of a Master I know."
Sen Wei.
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Posted: Sun Dec 24, 2006 8:13 pm
Without any exhaustion weighing her down, Li Ren was back on her feet quickly, springing from her crouched position and landing gracefully, sliding her feet into a wide stance and watching her opponent. "Don't get too distracted admiring the view," she chided lightly, an amused look crossing her face.
Seeing Tsai Shen take an offensive stance, she chose to press the offensive as well, moving quickly towards him before he had a chance to fully recover his breath. Trusting that her reflexes were faster than his, she struck out with two circular kicks, the first one low and the second aimed high at his chest.
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Posted: Sun Dec 24, 2006 8:25 pm
He quickly blocked the lower kick with his own striking forearm, but as expected, wasn't fast enough for her second. And he was down. One speedy retalitory strike as he fell, probably an incredible surprise to Li Ren, as his foot flew toward her side, and his back raised a dust cloud on the firmly packed earth.
At least he knew how to fall, and was relatively uninjured. Still, he'd lost the match, by Khutulan's rules, and got to his feet, expression warm. If she wanted to go another round he would. Actually, he sort of had to.
As if knowing it was briefly over, the trainer exited her home to eye them, raising a brow.
"You know the rules, Tsai Shen."
Of course, he did, he'd lost plenty of times. The earthbender was under Li Ren's command for the next four hours. That meant chores, sparring, games, anything she wanted to do. Within reason.
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