Completed Get Knocked Down Then Get Right Back Up

Reven explores another session of unarmed combat training with Mos'rila.

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Built into the cliffs overlooking the Suvan Sea, Riverfall resides on the edge of grasslands of Cyphrus where the Bluevein River plunges off the plain and cascades down to the inland sea below. Home of the Akalak, Riverfall is a self-supporting city populated by devoted warriors. [Riverfall Codex]

Get Knocked Down Then Get Right Back Up

Postby Reven Heath on February 11th, 2014, 9:40 pm

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Reven Heath Winter, Day 5, 513 A.V.




How docile the world appeared to be while the morning sun crept up over the horizon. Every second the scenery was painted with new color, fading from a dark blue to mild purple, pink to a deep orange before finally, radiant gold shined brightly across the grasslands outside of Riverfall. There was an array of color splashed across puffy, cream clouds with golden linings from the sun. Across the field, it looked dark and somehow in the delight of the morning's light, ominous and threatening. The trees were bare of life and stood spaced out, which blended together to form the Fringe Forest further off in the distance. Around their roots stood tall grass the waved simultaneously with the wind, in rhythm with the unpredictable breeze.

This is where Reven found herself. Gazing out onto the grasslands with a look of veneration as the sun rose to greet her good morning. Bathed in its warmth, Reven could hardly feel the sun against her skin as the winter breeze against her flesh chilled her to the bone. She'd just returned from her run across the area and made sure to mark and leave her scent on the parameters of her territory. It was small, circling near the Sanctuary and encompassed hardly a third of the hunting area. Marking this space was significant to her however, because it defined the space she could be her entire self. This habit was something recently inducted into her everyday routine and was quickly becoming a favorite part of her day. It was another way to relieve the stress of study and work, an opportunity to let loose with her instincts and roam freely even if for only a few moments. When the lights would glow behind her eyelids and shift her into her animal, her perfection, it would wash through her as such an intense, liberating emotion.

And she would run for hours... If she could.

Reven stepped cautiously over to where she kept her pack and weapons hidden and brushed away the small amount of snow and grass. Taking some of the soggy snow, the Kelvic squeezed her lips closed before rubbing it onto her cheeks, scrubbing away the blood and dirt. Showing the same concern for her hands, Reven scrubbed enough of the maroon color from her skin till it was merely a tint against her tanned pigment before reaching into her bag to clothe herself. On her little adventures, sometimes a small animal would catch itself on her path, in her gaze and before long, in her mouth. The Kelvic cat felt no remorse as she promptly ripped apart the morsels and ate them. Survival of the fittest. That's how she saw it.

Picking up and bow and quiver of arrows, Reven slung her backpack around her shoulder and started her way back into Riverfall. It was a two mile journey to the city, a short distance in comparison to the amount of time it takes to walk through the city itself, but nonetheless, it was still a walk. Reven knew better than to walk alone on the Kabrin road, especially during the early morning hours. She stayed off on the left, close to dirt and grass and possible hiding spot. Often, her hazel eyes would flicker about, especially when the gusts rattled tree branches nearby.

The dangers were quite real. The markings on her body were proof of that.

Eyes resting on the city in the distance, it wasn't long before Reven came upon the main gates and their stupendous architecture. It was baffling the art work and craftsmanship put into the stone that represented Riverfall. Even the daunting sun, especially in the summer time, only added to the breathtaking glory that made up Riverfall. It was a magnificent place to call home.

The sound of chatter, wind gusts, and water filled the air even before Reven spotted any Riverians. It was an average morning in the city and for it being winter, if there wasn't snow on the ground, there dozens of feet walking about it. She never liked coming into the city and, if she had her way, would have preferred moving to a place like the Sanctuary. It was a quiet place, close to the city but still far enough away from the bustling air that enveloped the city. Neither could she take the noise nor the amount of eyes lingering over her as she walked past.

Reven understood on a level why the men of this city were seemingly desperate to find a woman to gawk over. There were hardly any around and that was quite noticeable. Even so, prolonged gazes and openly staring at her was uncomfortable. Not only that, but it triggered an undying need inside of her to accept and entertain the idea that most of those men had. Mutaldi explained the best she could about Reven's nature. What she is and the need she has for a bond. It was true that she enjoyed pleasing others but not on the level of sacrificing her own dignity and freedom. Aimlessly, she battled with her emotions, day to day, but there was no end to it. No resolution could be made to please her heavy mind so she would bury it away in the books she read. Better not to think about it. But that was no longer an option for her...

Making her way down the stair case to the middle tier, Reven proceeded through an alleyway before venturing onto the small bridge leading to a tall, stone building. Godiva, one of many havens to insure homelessness is never a problem in this prosperous city. Not only was it a comfortable, warm place to reside in, but it housed one of the best teachers the Kelvic feline ever met.

Mos'rila was a kind woman with very soft age lines around her face, hinting toward her age, and brown hair tied up in a tight bun. Reven knew better than to underestimate her inviting features. Even if her body was thin, her arms still displayed rigid, toned muscles underneath the woman's skin. Reven could see her now, donning a simple shirt and pants, pushing away furniture within the room to make space for our practice. It wasn't anything intense, but still enough to risk items being broken.

Mos'rila spoke up before Reven had a chance to greet her. "You're late." The woman pulled back from the furniture she had shoved into the corner and dusted her palms off, casually approaching the younger female.

There was no excuse she could give to explain herself. She was late. An apology reflected in her eyes as Reven grimaced slightly. Mos'rila still looked as if she was waiting for an answer.

"I lost track of time, I'm really sorry Mos'rila." Reven felt awkward, very awkward. Shame was slowly making itself evident in her demeanor and before long, she began to ideally shift back and forth on her feet.

Mos'rila pushed her eyebrows up and smiled, playful amusement plastered on her face. "I'm sure you did, Reven. Go wash the blood off your face and then we'll get started." Mos'rila pointed in the direction of the washroom with her left hand, swinging her right arm in gentle circles, flexing the muscles, stretching them. "You may want to change. Those clothes look like they're about to fall off."

Reven complied, quickly following her mentor's direction. She scowled at herself for her failed attempted at cleaning up after breakfast and made quick work of the blood stains. A moment later, she returned with only her loose-fitted undergarment, concealing her breasts, and her brown pants. "This is all I have." She responded, approaching the human woman.

"It'll do! Let's get started."

Reven sauntered over to Mos'rila who stood on a plush rug near the center of the room. It wasn't much of a cushion but it beat having nothing but the stone floor to land on. Mos'rila gestured to the young Kelvic, beckoning her to follow the stretches the older one presented. "Watch, then do."

The woman raised her arms, as if stretching, pushing her hands into the air while standing on the balls of her feet. She made a point of exhaling her breath before slowly moving her arms down to her stomach, her sides, bending over slowly so that every muscle rippled and stretched, pushing down to touch her toes before pushing her knees back. Reven watched silently as Mos'rila bent her knees slowly, curling in on her legs and stretching her back. She exhaled again, the proceeded to come out of the curl and push her body back up till her arms were raised once more and she was on her toes.

"It's a very good focusing exercise as well. Now you do it. Go slow and breath. Focus on holding your balance and keep your breathing even."

Reven breathed in and pushed up in the same manner that her teacher had, only she didn't look as steady as Mos'rila. Wobbling on the balls of her feet, Reven remained the for a good moment but could not last too long. 'Ouch..!' Quickly, she rushed through the stretch, bringing her hands to her sides before bending her legs and curling. Coming back up, she stretched hard then relaxed, looking to Mos'rila.

"Well," Mos'rila had her arms folded over her chest," It could have been worse. You'll have to work on the stretch more. Sit on the floor, lets do your legs first."

For the next 15 minutes, the two worked on simple stretch exercises involving stretching legs, arms, back, and abdomen. Some of them involved using the wall to push against, most of the were with another person involved. Near the end of the stretch, Reven felt looser than water. "Shyke! How did stretching become so hard?"

"Do you use it in your day to day life? Do you practice it at all?" Mos'rila questioned but from the look on her face and Reven's otherwise graceless display of movement compared to her teacher, the woman already knew the answer.

"Come on, Kiddo." With a hand extended to help the young woman up, Mos'rila pulled her to her feet.

"Alright, for our next exercise we're going to practice ways to disorient your opponent. One way is to cup your hand like this..." She held her hand up, curved and stiff. "... and aim for the ear. It will create a kind of boom that will disorientate them and give you a small opening for an attack. Now, I want you to cup your hand and hit me." The older woman balanced herself on her feet, preparing herself.

Reven raised a brow. "Full force?"

"Is that not what you do when you hit someone?" Mos'rila bent her legs slightly and put her arms up. "Come on, Reven. Hit me!"

The young kelvic was not prepared for this exercise and felt highly uneasy about consciously doing harm to her teacher. Reven furrowed her brow and buried those emotions, preparing herself as well. She cupped her hand and swung... It was sad that her hand stopped so short, even more so that she found herself on her back, staring up at the older woman with a dazed expression.

"Uhh..." The air had left her lungs. Reven was fighting to remember how to breathe. "...What..?"

"And that is how you counter attack. Never, ever assume that your opponent won't know you're coming. Always be prepared to defend yourself in every way."

Reven coughed, grabbing her breath and rubbing her head, an ache beginning to form. "This is punishment for being late, isn't it?"

Mos'rila laughed. "Up, up. We've got more work to do."
Last edited by Reven Heath on February 12th, 2014, 2:39 pm, edited 3 times in total.
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Reven Heath
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Get Knocked Down Then Get Right Back Up

Postby Reven Heath on February 11th, 2014, 9:50 pm


Reven Heath Winter, Day 5, 513 A.V.




She was on her feet now, prepared this time. The Kelvic feline would not let her mentor put her on her back again. However, Mos'rila held her hands up as if she knew Reven's frustration at being caught off guard. If only the young one had a mirror to look into; the emotion was smeared across her features. "This is how you learn, hahah." She laughed, "Sometimes you've got to fall first."

Reven relaxed slightly, "How did you do that?"

She knew her mentor used the momentum of her body to get her on her back but didn't understand how she was flipped. Reven never even saw her move. Mos'rila beckoned her over with a wave of her hand. "You came at me like this..." She position Reven back into her stance, right hand up, close to the older woman's head with her left arm down by her side. "Watch... When you were coming at me, I leaned forward, toward you but I turned my shoulder like this and grabbed your arm..." She leaned forward, angling her shoulder toward the junction of Reven's shoulder, moving her right hand to grasp Reven's upper right arm.

"Since you weren't expecting this counter, you had no reason to stop and so, continued forward. But see, that was an advantage for me because with the force of your body, I only had to guide you in the direction I wanted you to go: down." Mos'rila pulled Reven forward slowly, showing her how her left hand moved forward to secure itself right before her elbow. "You came down slightly, so all I had to do was lift you up and you did the rest yourself."

The Kelvic watched as her mentor pushed her shoulder into the pit of Reven's arm, legs bent, still pulling her forward. "I'm not going to flip you Reven, but if you see what I'm doing then all you need to do is push up and lean forward, after you have your opponent like this. Now, we're going to try this out and I don't want you to hold yourself back from putting me on the floor. Understand?" She told, releasing her student.

"I understand." Reven retorted, falling into the same position her mentor had displayed.

"I'm going to try to hit you so be ready."

A nod of her head and eyes forward, Reven pushed out a breath to relax herself. It didn't help... Mos'rila readied herself in the same stance Reven had done and soon, approached the Kelvic in the same fashion. Reven reacted, moving to grab her right arm and lift her up but something went horribly wrong. With a hard grunt, Reven found herself with Mos'rila's arm over her shoulder and back pressed to front.

The mentor broke out in a fit of giggles. "Reven—" Another chuckle," Bend and turn with my momentum. Guide me forward. Use my force against me. Let's try this again."

And again the young feline tried, and tried, and tried, and tried. Each time it was different; slap to the face, arm to the neck, not bending in time then getting hit with the force of Mos'rila's body. Reven was nearly ready to give up with the training and the frustration of failure was starting to pound at her pride with every command, "Again!"

Reven planted her feet firmly on the floor and held her arms up, eyes focused with anger on the woman who kept at her. Once more with her hand raised, Mos'rila quickly approached her however, this time was different. Reven saw the hand come down in the direction of her head but could see the wide flat opening of her chest as it moved toward her. Reven turned her shoulder in slightly, not even realizing her right hand had caught the woman's upper right arm. Kelvic legs bent, hands secured, Reven turned now, pushing her legs up hard and tucking her torso in just as she was instructed.

Then she was staring into brown eyes.

Reven blinked, her mind slowly recognizing that she had flipped her teacher onto the floor.

"Great job!" Mos'rila complimented cheerfully, clapping softly while she laid on the ground before the Kelvic.

The young woman was in a state of bewilderment and new she was going to have to follow through with those same actions again, but didn't know if she could. All she could think about was her ego and how big it had grown in that moment. "I did it... I did it! Hahah, come on, let's do it again!"

Not thinking to help the woman up, Reven simply sank back into a firm stance, lifting her arms up again. The older woman didn't need assistance standing and hopped back onto her feet effortlessly. The same actions followed again and from the way Mos'rila's torso was left open, it was becoming easier to judge when the time was right to pop up and flip her onto her back. Sometimes she would struggle, but as long as there was that moment of opportunity, Reven had no problem putting Mos'rila back on the ground.

After the 6th or 7th time of this, the older woman laughed and propped herself up on her elbows. "I think you've got the hang of it now."

It was evident in the grin settled upon her lips that Reven was very pleased with herself and pleased that she had followed her mentor's instructions correctly.
Last edited by Reven Heath on February 12th, 2014, 4:59 am, edited 3 times in total.
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Get Knocked Down Then Get Right Back Up

Postby Reven Heath on February 11th, 2014, 11:55 pm

Reven Heath Winter, Day 5, 513 A.V.




"Now that you've gotten comfortable with that technique, we'll focus on some basic things like how to get away from someone trying to choke you."

Reven chuckled with amusement. "I would think to just kick them in their jewels."

"That can be effective at times, yes, but what if you're pinned to the ground and you can't use your legs? What if they're behind you? These are the things you need to be aware of when stepping into a situation without a weapon. You can easily win a fight if you're being conscious and cautious of your opponent, even if they are much large than you."

Mos'rila stretched her arms while twisting her torso left and right. She stood an arm's length from Reven and squared her shoulders, appearing firm in her stance once more. "Put your hands around my neck, don't squeeze because I want to show you how to counter. Okay, good. What I want you to do is take your index and middle finger, point them, then press into the middle of my neck right here..." Mos'rila pushed both of her fingers into the base of Reven's neck. The pressure against her trachea caused her to jerk back and cough, effectively removing her hands from her mentor's neck.

"And that's what should happen. Once they pull away, ball up your fist and punch them in the same spot. It's highly effective especially if you need to get away from someone quickly. Now there's a potential risk you'll damage their windpipe so for this exercise, we're only going to practice doing it..."

Reven sighed with relief. It was getting hot and the smell both bodies were emitting had no pleasing aroma. "And if they don't pull back, what then? Do I still try to hit them in the throat?"

Mos'rila nodded. "People need to breathe and if you're going up against someone that has lungs to breathe through, then that is a critical part of the body that can weaken them in an instant. If you have the accessibility to aim for it, do so and don't hesitate. Let's practice."

Reven stared the woman down as she felt warm hands cup around her throat and squeeze softly. The Kelvic halted for a moment, a sudden since of the past hitting her as if she had done this before. It was slow, very slow, as if time had stopped and all she could see was Mos'rila's face as it became further and further away from her. A sudden flash of a memory blanketed her present mind; a warm smile, white teeth, soft skin, thin fingers...

"Reven..?"

It was a memory, the only memory she had. It was so blindingly white she didn't know if it was a memory or a dream or an instance of time from some blank abyss. Then suddenly it was gone. The hard pat of a hand against her cheek roused her conscious mind. Reven blinked, confused by the sudden appearance of the teacher.

"Yes?" It was as if cotton had been stuffed into her ears.

"Hey, what happened? Did I startle you?"

She paused a moment,"No..?"

Mos'rila narrowed her eyes ever so slightly, tilting her head in question. "Do you still want to continue?"

Why had that happened? Where had she gone? Who was that haunting smile in her memories and was it even a memory?

"...Uh, yeah—Yes Ma'am. Sorry, that did startle me a little. I guess I'm not use to being this close to someone. Your eyes are so brown." Reven covered herself quickly, spitting out whatever came to her mind. "I'm just a bit overheated but let's continue, I don't want to end class this soon— unless you want to that is, if you're tired, which I understand."

How she develop a habit for babbling, Reven never knew, but by the pointed stare Mos'rila was throwing at her, it was quite obvious something had upset the Kelvic. Instead of drilling her about it though, the brown haired woman simply continued on with the lesson. She was talking now but Reven wasn't paying too much attention. Still, she followed through and took her two fingers, pressing them into the base of Mos'rila's neck. The teacher faked being hurt before the Kelvic threw a punch at her neck, the skin of her knuckles barely brushing flesh.

Reven was still caught up in the memory from earlier, the only memory she could recollect from her childhood. Bright white light, soft features, a brilliant smile, thin fingers— this person had been looking down on her but she could not make out the eyes or anything else, only the smile. The memory had perplexed her every since she was able to think clearly about its existence in her life and the significance of it being the only clue to finding her parents.

The Kelvic female was about to release a sigh, so caught up in her thoughts, that she didn't notice the foot that came plowing into her stomach. She was knocked back in surprise and fell right to the floor, bouncing back up immediately with the intent to partially maim. Of course, that emotion quickly dissolved away when hazel eyes landed on an unpleasant scowl cast her way.

"Are you back from the clouds? Did you say your peace to them? Can we finish?"

Reven shuddered and nodded, subtly rubbing the spot on her stomach. She knew Mos'rila left a bruise there.

"Okay then... For the last technique I'm going to show you how to get out of a choke hold if someone was behind you. You have an advantage with this because of your height, but to make this an effective combat move, you've got to have your feet firmly on the ground. It's very simple, come here." She tugged Reven off to the right side of the plush rug, "We'll need the space when I push you back. Now first I'm going to show you. Stand behind me and wrap your arm around my neck..."

Complying, an arm coiled around her slender throat as the teacher continued.

"When in this position, you need to gain leverage. Move your hips to the side so that your left leg is behind your opponent with your right leg in front. Bend your left arm and twist your torso." Mos'rila demonstrated this, causing Reven to fall back onto the floor, toppling over a firm leg in the process. "The key is to get your opponent on the ground. If you have your leg behind them and you push them back, I guarantee you they will release and fall. Come on, let's try this."

"Alright, um..."

Arm around her neck, Reven stumbled through the technique, getting her legs switched up with where they are suppose to go. "Ah— like this?"

"Hips turned, left leg back."

Reven turned her hips and realized suddenly there was a place to put her leg behind Mos'rila. "Oh!" With her left leg in position, Reven bent her left arm and pushed firmly, twisting her torso. Mos'rila fell back to the floor softly and smiled up on the Kelvic. "That's the way to do it. Good job. Let's do it a few more times but this time, stay strong and firm."

Each time it was easier to shift, stand strong, and twist. Reven was thankful she was in shape for this lesson or else she would have been hurting and exhausted. By the time the two finally finished, both were settled on the floor covered in sweat. Wiping the sweat from her brow, the Kelvic sighed, thankful for the day's lesson and ready for a nap.

She perched herself on her elbows and looked over at her teacher. "Sorry about being late, and about earlier— I didn't mean to cause any issues... I really appreciate your hospitality, Mos'rila, and I want you to know that I don't take it for granted. I'll do better."

A soft smile lit up on the older woman's features before she waved the Kelvic off. "You're not in trouble and in no way are you a problem. I'm always happy to help you Reven. You just need to focus better." Reven nodded, digesting the words.

She was right, absolutely so and because of that, the feline was going to focus better. Doing more was what compelled her, being more than what she was told she could be was a challenge she faced regularly and one that she met head on. This was only one of many lessons to come but she would get better with time and prove to herself and others that her race could be so much more.
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Reven Heath
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Get Knocked Down Then Get Right Back Up

Postby Caelum on March 9th, 2014, 3:45 pm

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Reven



Skills
Unarmed Combat +4
Socialization +1

Lores
Cougar Territory Marking: Sanctuary
Unarmed Combat: Stretching
Unarmed Combat: Opponent Disorientation Technique
Unarmed Combat: Counter Attack
Unarmed Combat: Escaping Choke Hold




Notes


Lovely. Please edit your post in the grade request thread to reflect completion and don't hesitate to contact me should you have any questions or concerns.
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