tampered | Log; Completed

Log; Completed

When; Today; late afternoon/early evening
Rating; PG
Characters; Aya

soulofocean
Summary; Aya teaches Umi to use the katana he gave to her way back when he left.
Log; It was peaceful in Xanadu currently. The air was comfortable and calm. And, there was no curse to disturb the peace that surrounded Aya. Closing his eyes a moment, he took the chance to enjoy it. He would give this first lesson to Umi then go have dinner. He had plenty of time for that.

Umi was a fencer...used to handling a sword with just one hand. A katana was different and required a different balance that she wouldn't be used to. And, just like his master had, he wouldn't let her learn with the actual blade just yet. Which was why he had two practice swords in his hand. One for him and one for her.

Opening his eyes, he glanced over to see if she'd arrived yet.

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Umi felt into the guarded stance more casually now --flowed into it, like Aya had told her she should. All her reflexes were keen on reacting to Aya's moves. But why do just that? They were focusing on defense, but wasn't taking the initiative the best form of it?

Sliding to a side, she tried a feint. Her sword was lowered slightly, wrist bent a little, almost as if she were about to strike. What would he do?

The natural reaction to seeing her ready like that was to back off or try another move. Instead, he kept coming at her right on, sword never moving from his side.

Not until the last possible moment when he attacked her ankle.

...That was great. She'd expected this, somehow. He wouldn't fall for it, but keep going.

The ankle move was a surprise, but one to which she reacted faster than the previous times. She was fast, after all. Maybe not as fast as Aya, but Umi employed all her fencer's reflexes and their readiness to get away from that attack. Then raised her sword to see if she managed to counter-block the incoming blow from his at the same time.

Twisting around, he caught her blade then...ignored all the rules entirely and elbowed her in the stomach since he was this low already. People didn't always play by the rules. He wanted her prepared for that as well.

"...Ouch!" That left her without breath for long enough to wreck her balance beyond salvation.

Backing off, Umi grabbed her stomach and glared literal daggers up at Aya.

"What on earth was that for??"

"That was me fighting dirty."

He stepped back and stood there a moment or so.

"This is the City."

"Gaaaaaah... But you didn't have to give me a reminder! I was doing so well too..."

Umi stumbled over to the bench and plunked herself down on it, wheezing in sheer aggravation. She did see his point, which made this all the harder.

"You still are doing well."

It was the truth. He was impressed that she was actually. Aya walked over to her and offered her the water.

She was still glaring up at him as she accepted it, but couldn't hold that offended attitude for much longer. Umi ended up breaking into a wry smile before she had a drink. "Even the part when I fell on my butt?"

"It could have been worse. You're able to still fight another day." Aya sat down next to her and drank more of his own water while he was at it. He smiled some and watched a bird fly by.

"You bet I will! You're not getting rid of me anytime soon." She elbowed his flank a little --maybe a tiny bit of revenge. Then she learned back and enjoyed the view, feeling her breath returning. The water she'd drunk certainly helped.

"You sure picked a pretty spot. Should we have our lessons here always?"

"I didn't think so." He smiled some more as she elbowed him, not really minding the action at all. Looking around, he nodded to her. This was a good place.

"I think so. It will be a good place for you to learn."

"Then it's settled! It'll be our classroom, sort of." That place would do. It had everything they needed: it was beautiful, relaxing for when the efforts were done, and it afforded them the privacy they wanted for training, away from the throng of people that usually visited Xanadu. Umi felt confident she'd grow used to it.

"Just don't do that too often." She nodded at the poor abused tree they'd used for their demonstrations, and laughed sheepishly."Or the gardeners here will kick us out."

"Consider that to have been a one time only thing." He had no intention of destroying plant life like that every time. He couldn't bring himself to doing that. Now when he was a florist and he loved to see the plants on a daily basis.

"Consider it considered! I was just kidding, too." Maybe she'd just channeled a certain unnerving person and his weird jokes. Umi chased the thought away with a shake of head. Of all the times to remember...

"I'll practice my basic exercises for next time, too. I think they helped me a great deal."

"You can take that practice sword with you too. It will be good for practice. As for your other sword..."

Reaching into his pocket he drew out a length of cord. It didn't take long for him to wrap in such a way that she would be able to unsheathe the katana just yet. Not without removing the cord.

"That will stay on there until I decide you're ready."

For a second she wondered what exactly did he plan to do with the cord. Some special sword-maintenance trick on the enchanted blade? One only katana masters knew of? Then Umi's eyes widened and she pointed.

"Eh? What's that f--- ...hey! Wait! Wh-? What are you doing?"

She stared at the secured knot around her katana's hilt and sheath, eyeballing it for a good ten seconds, then back at Aya, then back at the knot, then again up at her companion with a flabbergasted look that clearly requested an explanation.

"You should not be drawing a sword you cannot use." He smiled and handed the sword back to her.

"My master did this for me. For different reasons then but I agreed with him doing it. Even if it wasn't until some time later." Aya wasn't about to let her go off using a sword like she was now though. She would have to rely on her own and hope that her magic didn't get taken away.

"...Eh. Alright. But... this seems a little..." She searched for the word, looking back at the knot as if it were meant to apologize to her for existing. A tiny frown. "Extreme."

Unless it was symbolic. Or a ritual. Maybe she'd be able to untie the knot herself once she mastered the technique! Being only Japanese by birth and not upbringing Umi still understood ancient Japanese martial arts came with all sorts of little rituals.

So she nodded at the knot as if she were allowing it to live. "I can wait."

He could see she didn't understand but she would in time. He wouldn't have her hurt herself or others with the sword if he could help it. That was a message that he wanted her to learn on her own. And he wouldn't be explaining that to her.

"I'm glad."

"It's alright!" She had her own rapier anyway. Umi was sure that come a time -- probably WAY far into the future -- she'd feel as comfortable using this katana in battle. But for now she felt infinitely safer with her own Escudo sword in hand. She hadn't ever meant to use that katana anyway -- it was a keepsake. She could certainly be patient.

"The wooden one should be enough to practice the moves. And boy, do I plan to practice them." She wanted to give Aya a pleasant surprise for the next lesson, to show him her progress.

"Enjoy yourself, Umi." Aya shook his head then ran his fingers through his hair as he gathered his things together. He looked around one more time then back at her.

"Would you like me to walk you back to the City area?"

She shook her head. "I'm headed back to the beach house. I'd like a swim. The day's nice enough for it." And since she was in for a shower anyway... She wondered if Hikaru and Fuu would be around for a tiny beach day.

Umi gathered her own burdens and smiled back at Aya. "Unless you feel like walking me there."

She certainly wouldn't say no to that.

He walked after her and nodded. "I have some time to kill." Then he would see about getting something to eat since he was getting hungry now. It was about time too.

"I think I can help with that." Granted, the walk down the seaside was bound to make Aya hungry, unbeknownst to Umi. But then again, if they were lucky, maybe Tatra would have readied one of her famous curry dishes for lunch. Umi hadn't been there all day. She was getting slightly hungry too. "Shall we get going?"

Log; Completed

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