A Treatise on Punching Things (Atzi)

[Rhuryc]

48th Spring, 511 AV The Boardwalk If there was one thing Rhuryc enjoyed about Avanthal it was the privacy. One could spend hours on the Boardwalk and encounter no one but themselves. It was for this purpose that Rhuryc came her, Atzi in tow, on such a fine, cold spring afternoon. The sky was clouded and there was a light snow that drifted ever so gently, the occasional flake matting the man's blond hair and melting into an excuse to not bathe. The lack of visibility made things even better. Now no one would be questioning why the man was beating up a poor, unarmed woman. Albeit he had made his doubts known. Atzi remained persuasive. Blasted woman. His usual defenses against such things were damn near useless when she gave him those eyes. Bah! Today they were going to 'train', or at least that's what he had called it. He knew nothing about how capable Atzi was while in her human form. There was no easy pouncing. That and she possessed no weapons. They stopped near the outskirts the walk, near a familiar statue he had only recently discovered. An ice sculpture of a wolf pack, Amondaris enjoyed this spot almost as much as Rhuryc did. Quiet, lonely, this would do nicely. In his usual fashion the man unclipped his sword from his side - he took the weapon everywhere - and removed the heavy, fur cloak from his torso, both cast aside with a gentle toss. Beneath was nothing new. That coat, the boots and breeches he always wore, on top of those thick gloves and the spare dagger he kept on the back of his hip. Rhuryc was not much for fashion, nor change. He would most likely where that coat until he died. He waited for Atzi to, well, do whatever she had to do. He was finally starting to win the battle for her to be dressed outside, convincing her that especially now she would need the warmth. The last thing he wanted to spend another night at the Whitevine. "Right." Rhuryc frowned as he observed the woman. He did not want to hit her. "Just remember that this was your idea, and the moment you want to stop tell me. Don't be stupid." He regarded her reaction with cold eyes. That calculating gaze meant more than simple appearances. Rhuryc was considering. Perhaps weighing. Whenever he got that look there was more going on in his mind then he would let on. Especially now. Perhaps he was simply gauging how far he should go. "We can start by showing me what you can do. When not a tiger." That was so strange to say. He would never get used to this whole Kelvic thing. Rhuryc stood firm, his back straight as he awaited the first strike.

[Atzi]

Atzi had been insistent, it wasn't something a kelvic would normally do, but she wanted to give Rhuryc some training as well as better herself. She was just as excited as any other day she got to spend with Rhuryc. Today was like most other days, except that she likely would return to the cabin with a bloody nose. The two reached the edge of the boardwalk, they had been there before on one if their days of wandering. It was a nice area, though Atzi cared little for it, for the sole reason that it was cold. All of Avanthal was cold, and the woman cared little for it. “Right.” The kelvic looked up to the man with a smile while she tugged off her mittens and hat, tossing them to be with Rhuryc's items. Her cloak soon followed, the spring cold nipped at her skin, even through the furred blouse and wool breeches. “Just remember that this was your idea, and the moment you want to stop tell me. Don't be stupid.” Atzi smirked and nodded slightly. “Don't worry. I will tell you.” She winked playfully at the man. “We can start by showing me what you can do. When not a tiger.” It was a good question, even Atzi wasn't entirely sure of her human capabilities. The time she had spent with Rhuryc was the most she had ever appear human, in Sunberth, she was near constantly a tiger. Her human form was weak compared to what she was use to, it would take some getting use to. She paced, her hands balled up, gold eyes watching Rhuryc, inspecting, she was hunting. She moved, awkwardly compared to their previous interaction, lunging towards Rhuryc, her right fist drawn back by her ear, aimed for Rhuryc's face. She had every intention of hitting him, and he would have the same intention towards her. Of course, Atzi was clumsy, awkward and off balanced on human legs, her weight was spread differently, she didn't have claws, paws, she didn't have a tail. By gods, the balance a tail brings.

[Rhuryc]

Rhuryc quirked a brow. It was apparent that Atzi had no idea what she was doing. Her movements were identical to how she acted as a tiger. The haunch of her shoulders, the pacing, even the lunge that she committed herself to. He did not have to do much. Every movement was broad and unbalanced. When she came at him he did not even move. Instead, he brought one hand up and caught the shaky punch, allowing it to drift to the side as his other arm came out, palm pressing against Atzi's chest and keeping her at odds. He had yet to retaliate. That would feel entirely too wrong. No, for now he held the woman at bay, far stronger when she was still human. "You don't do this much when you don't weigh as much as three men, do you?" He offered her a slight grin and pushed her back. Forceful. He stepped back himself and kept his vigil alert on the woman, watching for any more sudden movements. "You're not as fast, nor as strong. You can't relay on brute force. And you need to use your body more. Don't lunge. Keep yourself balanced." He demonstrated by setting one foot in front of the other and straightening his back. He bent his knees and tapped his waist with both hands. "You need to keep yourself steady. Get closer and just hit me a few times. Don't hold back." Rhuryc stood firm. There was not much Atzi could do to hurt him while she was like this. "Just to get used to it. Use your body with the punch. Throw your hips into it, but don't lean forward. Got it?"

[Atzi]

Rhuryc barely did anything to deflect her. Pitiful. Had she been a tiger, he'd be getting another bath by this point. His hand caught her punch, deflecting it to the side, his other hand came up against her chest, keeping her from him. Damn, this was going to be a lot rougher than the Kelvic had expected. “You don't do this much when you don't have weigh as much as three men, do you?” Atzi smirked at Rhuryc and let out a small, uncomfortable laugh. “Never actually... Az'Rial always wanted me to be a Tiger. It was uncommon to be like this, really.” The woman stumbled backwards, regaining her balance instead of falling flat on her ass. “You're not as fast nor as strong.” True, if anything, she was pitiful as a human. “You can't relay on brute force. And you need to use your body more. Don't lunge. Keep yourself balanced.” Atzi blinked a few times, looking at his form, she mimicked it, setting a foot in front of the other, straightening her back, letting her shoulders fall back. Right, this felt strange, but she felt balanced, steady. “You need to keep yourself steady. Get closer and just hit me a few times. Don't hold back.” The red head cocked her head, confused. “Hit you?” She stepped up closer to him, a bewildered expression resting across her face. “Alright...” The woman mirrored Rhuryc's body, one foot in front of the other, steady, knees bent, hips forward. Atzi held her balled up hands and struck towards Rhuryc's chest, once, twice. Her body was stiff, the force coming from her arms alone, weak punches were all she was throwing. “Use your body with the punch. Throw your hips into it, but don't lean forward. Got it?” The kelvic nodded, a stern, focused expression filling her narrowed eyes. Atzi threw a punch, twisting at the waist, standing up into the punch as she threw it.

[Rhuryc]

The contact barely registered in his mind. There was a slight pressure in his chest, but otherwise Atzi's strikes were a passing discomfort. The first two, anyway, once she adjusted herself and added some weight to the punch he felt something, albeit it was not much more than before. She was weak. In this form, anyway. Yet it was this way that Rhuryc preferred her. For more than just the obvious reasons. A tiger had a habit of drawing attention and with the weather in Avanthal he worried for her well being walking about without any real protection. So far as he was aware large cats were not meant for this much cold. "Better. But you're not going to stop anyone with that." Rhuryc stepped forward and turn around, standing beside Atzi and reassuming his stance. He leaned over and helped the woman along. A hand went to her thigh and he shifted her leg over just a bit as his opposing arm settled on her lower back and pushed forward to straighten her posture. "There. It will feel awkward, but keep in mind that you're on two legs." That was good. Demonstrating, Rhuryc stepped forward and pulled his arm back. When he came forward his entire body shifted with the movement, his foot stepping with the strike that came from one shoulder. "Remember to punch through the target. Not just at it. Nothing fancy. Hit anything in the right spot and they'll go down. Really though, we should be teaching you to fight with a weapon, not just your hands." The man abandoned his demonstration and turned about once more. "You don't need to be strong to stick a man full of holes. I could teach you to wield a blade." He took up the stance once more and straightened his torso out, eying the woman with a quizzical expression. "Again. Hit here." He tapped in the center of his chest at the Solar Plexus. "Here." He continued, motioning at the temples of each side of his head and lastly the groin. "Well. Maybe not there. On me. But anyone trying to kill you, sure. Go ahead."

[Atzi]

Rhuryc stepped over to stand next to the Kelvic, he resumed the stance she had been mimicking. Atzi watched him closely, soaking in everything she saw and was told. Rhuryc's hands reached out, one touching her thigh and adjusting it slightly. The man's other hand touched the small of her back, straightening her posture. The woman frown, it did indeed feel strange, she greatly preferred her tiger form for fighting. But, she was determined to learn this, even if it was frustrating. Golden eyes watched carefully as Rhuryc threw a punch. His foot stepped forward, his hips shifted into the movement as his fist, elbow and finally shoulder followed through the motion. It was clear there was a great deal of force from the punch. “Punch through...” Atzi muttered, repeating the phrase to herself. “Really though, we should be teaching you to fight with a weapon, not just your hands.” The kelvic frowned slightly, watched Rhuryc as her turned to face her. “You don't need to be strong to stick a man full of holes. I could teach you to wield a blade.” The red head was not about to turn down an offer like that. “This first. I need to know this. I won't always have a blade, now will I? But I should always have my limbs.” She smiled slightly, maintaining the awkward position Rhuryc had moved her into. The man tapped the center of his chest, instructing her where to hit. His gesture towards his temples and groin gave with woman a playful smirk. “Well. Maybe not there. On me. But anyone trying to kill you, sure. Go ahead.” Atzi giggled and nodded slightly. “I don't think either of us want me hitting there.” She said as her eyes wandered below his belt for a short moment. The kelvic quickly composed herself, her expression changing from one of playfulness to a serious, focused stare. Atzi held her fists up, her back straight, she felt her position, it was right, right? The kelvic thought it was right, it felt right, after all. As the woman exhaled her body was put in motion, her left foot stepped forward, her hips twisted as her left fist struck at the center of Rhuryc's chest.

[Rhuryc]

He smiled. Or rather, he tried to. Atzi's words were often an obscuration of innocence and teasing. The truth behind them eluded the man far more often than most any puzzle he ever encountered. While he pondered her jest a fist found its way to his chest. Ooph. Rhuryc glanced down, amused at the loss of breath he felt from the blow. That was quick. The impact sent a jolt of pain through his body but the brunt of it was easy to ignore. After all, it was hardly the most impressive of his injuries. And Atzi was, much to his chagrin, rather weak in her human form. A form he preferred over that animalistic nature. "Better." His head bobbed with the words. "Now, try it again. This time I'll actually defend myself." Rhuryc said, raising his arms up and setting them out in front of his torso. His stance remained very much the same other than the occasional shifting of his feet. "When you're ready."