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 Posted: Wed Jan 09, 2013 8:56 pm
He watched her, curiosity flickering through his eyes. The stormborn wanted to know what she would do, yes, but they also drank up her movements, and studied them in a much more subtle way. It was true, this beautiful fae-like creature was a being of pure power and 'magic', but that didn't stop the golden lion from entertaining the swirl of thoughts and desires that stirred just underneath the surface. He was not a creature of instinct, however, but a lion of discipline and intellect. So he stayed the course, watched, and calculated her reaction to the training exercise. It wasn't the final decision to walk forward and meet him that caught his attention, but the indecision that he decided should be addressed. He could teach her technique, but it would do no good if she didn't have the warrior's heart to go through with it.
Ultimately Don turned inward again, tightening their circle of walking so they were within arms reach of one another. "Yes, I suppose it is", he partially chuckled, a small flicker a smile nudging it way onto his maw. "Its a good tactic", he began with, keeping his stride smooth and steady. "But no matter what you respond with, you'll need to commit yourself to that action. Your opponent will likely be able to pick up on any indecision or hesitation, and can turn that against you", he explained. He did not mean to sound harsh, in fact he spoke more from passion than he did anything else, as he wanted to be sure she understood the importance of these lessons. He had caught her off guard earlier, and he did not like to think on what might have happened if it were a stormborn wishing to test their mettle against a goddess in battle. Yes, she had mentioned powers, and wings, and he wasn't sure what she was capable of, but he wasn't entirely convinced that she wouldn't come out of an encounter like that unscathed. That thought bothered him. Someone harming that sunrise pelt, or bringing pain to those pale moonshine eyes was unacceptable.
Where were these thoughts coming from? Don wasn't entirely sure himself, as he had made a point in his life not to bother with helping others. They should survive on their own strength, as he had done for his entire life, but she seemed to be the exception to the long-ingrained rule. A chill wind that drove the waves to slap into the cliff-side rustled his mane and broke his thoughts, and he realized he had been quiet and circling for longer than he had intended. So Don stopped and met her pale, void-like gaze. "The most important lesson I think I can teach you, is to be aware of yourself and your actions. Confidence comes with experience, but you can start by believing in yourself and not letting fear control you." That was a little more on the philosophy side he supposed, but he felt it was still crucial to battle. "Basically, follow through with your actions, and move with the flow of the battle. It may not be the most technical way to fight, but its flexible and will keep you aware of your opponent. Which, in turn, is more likely to keep you from getting injured." That last part he made sure to catch her eye, letting her know that that was meaning of this exercise. He did not wish to see her harmed, and if he could not protect her, he'd make sure to equip her with the knowledge to do so herself.
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Posted: Thu Jan 10, 2013 11:45 am
Any impure thoughts towards Mneme were lost on her; she was not a reader of personality, nor was she a teller of body movements. They were subtleties lost on the young goddess, naïve to the world and innocent to the creatures who dwelt there. Awemu might have had words for her, of the sorts of lions she’d find in her travels, but… the golden goddess thought nothing of it. They were all new, and exciting, and wonderful! And here- here she learned the strength of her own paws, not only through magic, but her own character and will. It was brilliant!
“Commitment is something I suppose, too, shall be learned with time. Being able to carry yourself where you wish in the blink of an eye… well. It keeps you from deciding on anything too finally,” Mneme admitted, slightly embarrassed by the truth of the statement. But admitting it-the honesty of this encounter, and all that Don was teaching her- was a good step forward.
Don circled her, for a great long while, not speaking and not giving her direction. Were she honest with herself, it seemed as though he was… distracted. Lost in his own thoughts. Mneme’s pace slowed, slightly, as she regarded the tough lion with some amount of concern. Perhaps this wasn’t the best night to take lessons from him, if he were so concerned with other going-ons.
Perhaps she ought to say something.
However, the breeze seemed to set Don in his right mind once more. With a heavy swallow, Mneme sped herself onward once more, desperate to set back into the pace once more. Way to distract yourself! Pushing it from her mind, Mneme focused on his words. Follow through. Believe in yourself. They were good words to consider, in battle and out. To make certain he knew she was listening, the little goddess nodded with a smile.
Or, even better! She could show him precisely what she’d learned. It only took Mneme a moment’s debate for her to act- in retrospect, she did not even recall tensing into action. Her muscles contracted, and before she could consider it further, she was in motion, diving for the lion before her. It clearly wasn’t malicious- her claws were still kept in her paws, and set on her face was a mischievous little smile.
Don might slap the daylights out of her, but, it wasn’t horrible. At least, she didn’t think so. If she got into a bit of a tumble, well hey! That’s what this exercise was all about!
(( It is up to you whether Mneme actually gets him, or even like, misses completely and dives into the dirt. I will not be offended either way! ))
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Posted: Thu Jan 31, 2013 8:06 am
Moonstone Dazzle Sorry for the delay! Possible wrap on my end?
He may have gone on to weight her response and consider the capabilities of powers and teleporting- albeit it was a foreign concept to his mind- but the slightest blink of movement caught his attention. He hadn't, at least not consciously, noticed her muscles tensing in preparation for the strike. The reaver's instinctual reaction would have been to retaliate with unforgiving claws and savage teeth, but he stilled his paws and braced for the impact instead. In the brief moment he had managed to glance at her face, he could tell her intent was not to harm him. She carried no malice in her move against him, so in return he would not beat the holy snot out of her as he would one of his comrade's in a sparring match.
Instead Don allowed himself to be tackled, to let her feel what it was like to grab onto someone and push her weight around. He probably should have let her have that hit and be done with it, he really shout have, but her mischievous sneak attack sparked a strong feeling of deviant retaliation in the golden lion. He didn't 'play'. At least not often, and almost never in his adult life. But here it was, those feelings of protection and want rolled into harmless games.
So as Don hit the ground from being tackled, he pulled the little goddess down with him, rolling with the momentum to take her tumbling with him for a few short turn-abouts. In the end, Don's maw was plastered with the devious spark of mischief that must have migrated from Mneme to him as they were tumbling. It stayed there for a moment before melting into something softer, and Don relaxed to lay down against the cool rocks of the cliff-side next to her. For a moment he was simply watching her, before turning his gaze outward to the dark, moonlit sea.
"You know, I could stay out here all night long", he paused to smirk and look back in her direction. "So long as you don't mind the company." It was difficult to remember a time in his life when he was this relaxed around someone, and this willing to spend more than a few moments in their company. But this was different. He could feel it inside him as it warmed his blood and eased his thoughts. This night was special, this night it was about her.
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