[PRP] Like Father, Like Son (Asker x Vodnitvar)

[The Captain Britain]

At first they were like BAM! And then they were like WHAM! And then ROAR! Asker pounced onto an imaginary opponent. The patrons were so cool. Asker wanted to leanr how to fight like that. He could just imagine it, leading his fellow soldiers into battle and saving the pride! A hero amongst gypsies, with everyone cheering his name! Well, they'd be cheering his gypsy name. Which Asker still hadn't thought much about. There were just so many possibilities, so many things he could do. But that was still plenty of time. After all, he didn't need to choose a name until he was much older.
Asker trotted along the sand, weaving in and out of pride members' legs. He wondered if his daddy knew how to fight. Well, the cub knew that Papa could fight, but Asker didn't know if he would to teach his son. He certainly hoped so. But if not, then Asker would just have to find someone else to teach him. However, that wouldn't be as fun. Because no one in the pride, no one was as cool as Papa. Mama was a close second though.
Asker stopped when his father's familiar blue coat came into view. The cub bounded over to him, slipping a little bit on the uneven, sandy ground. He had been assured that he would master keeping him balance on sand in time, but Asker was still waiting to see results. "Papa! Papa!" The cub head-butted his father's leg, looking up and grinning. "Hi Papa."  

[Depawsit]

Voddy was tired, oh so tired and boy was it starting to get to him. He'd never been this tired before, well before his cubs came along. But that isn't to say he wasn't happy to have them, they were just a bit ... tough to keep up with sometimes. The lack of sleep was starting to get to him, Nicolae and Asker were always tucked so tightly into his side, with Vanellope nuzzled uncomfortably between himself and Fireheart. The picture might have been heartwarming, but the reality was pretty painful.

Stretching his front legs out before him, Voddy let out a loud yawn. Feeling the sun against his back, made things a lot more bearable than they'd been throughout the night. He was just about to lie down, and allow the rays to work their magic on his joints when a very familiar sight bumped into his leg.

Looking down, Vodnitvar couldn't help but grin at his near identical twin. His son was getting bigger by the day, and yet he still had the energy of a cub. "Hello Asker." Bending down to nudge his son in the side he laughed off his odd manner of greeting. "Trying out a new method of attack? Or did you lose your balance again?"

The Captain Britain

 

[The Captain Britain]

Depawsit

Uh-oh, a trick question! Asker needed to think quickly and come up with a good answer. "Uuuuh....both!" The cub squished his head against his father's leg, turning it into a rather rough nuzzle. He slipped around the older male's legs, ducking underneath his belly and coming out the other side. These days he was having to bend down a lot further in order to complete his little maneuver, Asker straightened himself out and stood in front of Vodnitvar. The cub had been delighted when he had first looked at his reflection in a pool of water and found him to look remarkably like his father. There were elements of his mother in his looks, mostly his mane, but looking at his dad right now was just like looking into that pool of water again. It made him proud. It obviously meant that someday he'd take over his father's place as the coolest lion in the pride. Definitely something to consider when trying to think of his gypsy name.
"What are you doing? Do you have free time? Can you help me out? I wanna learn how to fight. Can I learn how to fight? I should learn how to fight cause Mama says you know how to fight." The questions came out all in one breath, Asker staring wide and bright at his father with his best puppy-dog eyes. Usually the faster he spoke, the easier it was to confuse people, meaning it was easier to convince them to do something for him. Well, most of the time they just agreed because they didn't want to hear the string of questions again, but hey, it got results. "Pleeeeeeease?" Always good to remember his manners as well.  

[Depawsit]

Voddy's cold heart could have melted as he stood there with his son. Not only was he proud to have his children, but he was even more proud that his son had come to be so much like him. Not only in image, but in spirit too. It was as though the gods of fortune were shining down on him and his mate, giving them the family neither could have ever dreamed of. Vodnitvar chuckled lightly at his son's reaction, and returned his nuzzle. Being a bit more gentle than his son, not for fear of hurting him, but for fear of knocking him over. "Sounds to me like you need a bit more practice in both areas don't you think?" Looking down once more, all he could see was Asker's bright yellow tail as it disappeared under his belly.

It took only a moment for him to pop back out on the other side, leaving Voddy laughing gently to himself. "Well I don't suppose i'm doing anything son..." Voddy hardly had time for the answer to leave his lips before Asker was spewing out another question. Holding his tongue, he waited for his son to finish. One thing he'd learned from his first litter, was that cubs had tons of questions. If they only asked you one question ... something was wrong.

As he listened, he couldn't help but beam in delight at his son's unexpected request. Well, maybe not unexpected but perhaps random timing? He had known since the cub's were first being weaned that he had a litter of fighters on his paws. And both her and Fireheart couldn't have been happier with the news.

"Hmmmm I dunno ... do you really think you're ready?" Voddy paused for a moment watching his son dart around like a crazy lion. "And to learn from an old lion like me? Why not go to one of the patrons - you are the Queen's son ... surely someone would teach you." The grin on his face just got wider the more he pestered his son. Of course he would teach him to fight! It had been his dream ever since learning that the two were expecting. But something he loved almost as much as his cubs ... was driving them crazy at every opportunity.

The Captain Britain

Sorry for the wait! My Voddy muse poofed for a while there ;w;

 

[The Captain Britain]

Depawsit

Asker snorted. As if he wanted to learn from anyone but Papa! That was just crazy talk. "You're not old, you're just big!" The young male knew that when one got older, one got bigger as well, but he wasn't willing to think of his father as "old," regardless of the blue male's actual age. His pap would always be young and strong and fierce to him, like no lion ever was. "Plus I bet you're stronger than all the patrons, and can beat them with one paw!" After all, Papa was the coolest lion in the pride. It only made sense that he would be able to defeat everyone. It made Asker wonder why Papa wasn't the leader of the patrons, but he supposed that being the mate of the Queen involved other duties, boring ones of which Asker had no interest in learning. Yuck. If the juvenile heard the term "diplomatic" one more time, he was going to throw up! Violence seemed like a perfectly good solution for everything. It was working for him so far. Sure, he sometimes pissed off his siblings, like that one time Chaska got mad at him for being too rough, but they all got over it eventually.
"So if I wanna be better than the patrons, I gotta learn from you!" Plus, Asker didn't know any of patrons well enough to ask. He had come to realize that sometimes he was treated differently because he was the Queen's son, and didn't want to risk being turned down because of that.  

[Depawsit]

Vodnitvar tried to stifle the grin that was slowly taking over his face, but his children all had a way of bringing it out of him. No matter how hard he tried to keep it from them. "Well I guess you've got it partially right." He let loose a hearty laugh as he continued to watch his son. "Just between you and me, I think your mom has a bit to do with the 'big' part." Nudging his son in the ribs, he listened on as his son boasted about his amazing Dad. He wouldn't lie and say he didn't love it, but he didn't love it for the obvious reasons. He loved it because it came from the heart of one he held so dear.

"Well ... I wouldn't say I could take them out with one paw ..." Leaning in closer to Asker once more, he raised a paw to his lips to hide his words. "Maybe a claw is more specific." Again he nudged Asker and gave him a quick wink before pulling his hind legs under him and sitting down beside his mirror image.

Vodnitvar sat there for a moment, and took in a deep breath. "Well I guess I can't argue with your logic now can I?" One glance into Asker's eyes told him 'no' was not an option.

"That's what I thought. So tell me, what is you want to know?"

The Captain Britain

 

[The Captain Britain]

Depawsit

I feel like I'm throwing you under the bus here on this one. xD If you can't think of anything, just do something like concentration or focus. Asker needs more of that anyways. xD

Asker frowned in deep concentration at his father's question. There were so many things he wanted to know. He wanted to know how to stalk through the night, completely silent and undetected. He wanted to know how to anticipate an opponent's move and perform a counter-strike. He wanted to know how to knock an enemy out with one single blow. He wanted to know how to spin and dodge and jump and slash and kick...he wanted to know everything.
However, that was probably a little too much to cover in one lesson. Asker didn't doubt his father's abilities to teach, but rather his own abilities to learn. After all, it had taken him quite some time to memorize all the rules they had to follow and whatnot. But then again, the young male was realizing that he learned more quickly when doing things paws-on, rather than being lectured.
No, no, it was best not to overwhelm himself. If he did too much today, Asker wouldn't be able to practice tomorrow! And that would be a tragedy indeed. But where would they start? The sneaking? The dodging? The striking? "Uh....I wanna know all of it." He mumbled, trying to figure out what to say. "Maybe we could start with the most important part of fighting!" Asker exclaimed, bouncing on his paws. Of course! If he wanted to be a good fighter, he had to master the most important skills right off the bat. Only..."Uh...I don't know what the most important part is. Papa, what's the most important part?"  

[Depawsit]

Taking a deep breath he listed to Asker's words, trying to keep up with all the things his child was asking him. He definitely had a way with words sometimes, though the proud Papa had yet to figure out if that was a good or bad thing. Exhaling the held in breath, Voddy allowed his shoulders to relax as he made full eye contact with his son.

"Well we've got all the time in the world for all of it, but for now we should definitely focus on the most important aspect of the fight." Voddy nodded his head slowly, while trying to read his son's mind. He wondered if his son had an opinion on the subject. Sure, he had said he didn't know ... but was that simply because he didn't want to be wrong in front of his Dad? Or did he truly know nothing of the sort?

No, that definitely couldn't be the case considering his dedication to the art. He felt rather strongly about that, it was pretty obvious.

Cocking his head to the side a bit, he turned his body a bit to get a better position for talking with his son.

"How about you tell me what you think is the most important part ... and then i'll tell you if you're right. That sounds fair right?"

The Captain Britain

Nah no bus throwing undering here! I did similar RPs with Fireheart - which is where she learned most of her techniques. So i'll likely go a similar route with Asker :3

 

[The Captain Britain]

Depawsit

AAAAAAAW. Learning just like his mommy did. -sniff- So precious!

Asker frowned a bit. He really didn't want to be wrong in front of his dad. He wanted Papa to be proud of him! And Papa wouldn't be proud of him if he got the answer wrong. At least, Asker didn't think so. So he would have to think long and hard before replying.
Surely the defense was most important? Biding one's time, enduring through each hit, waiting until one's opponent tired themselves out. But Asker had also heard that the best defense was a good offense. Taking out an enemy quickly so that they couldn't land a hit on you, shortening the battle with efficient strikes and tackles. And if that was the case, then he needed power and strength! But all that strength would mean nothing if he couldn't land a hit, meaning Asker would have to be faster than his opponent. So he should work on speed, right? No, that just didn't seem right. Asker couldn't work on speed if he didn't know anything in the first place.
Why did this have to be so confusing? It was becoming impossible to focus on one thought, ideas darting around in his head like...like an enemy on the battlefield! Everything about fighting revolved around focusing on your surroundings, being aware of everything around you. That focus told you whether to duck or dodge or attack. "Focus? Being aware?" Asker guessed hesitantly. He didn't really know how to work on focus, but the blue juvenile was sure his father could give him some pointers.  

[Depawsit]

Asker's words were right on the money, and the shocked expression on Voddy's face proved it. His law was slack as he tried to stumble upon the right words to praise his son with. Though he was coming up blank, the only thing his mind wanted to focus on was being happy for him. But he knew that at some point he would have to find the proper words to speak.

"You're hitting it right.on.the.nose." He mused happily, smiling at his son as he playfully poked him on his own nose.

'Focus and awareness are both very important tactics to a proper battle. But even more important than the two of them are what they create when fused together." Voddy mused the words while physically twisting and contorting his paws for visual effect.

"The most important tactic of battle is to know your enemy. If you know your enemy, then you know their faults. If you know their faults, you know how to exploit them."

The Captain Britain

 

[The Captain Britain]

Depawsit

Asker grinned brightly at his father's praise. So he had gotten it right! He giggled a little and scrunched his nose up at the contact. The young male found the expression a little odd, but he understood the meaning all the same.
Eyes now intently focused and Vodnitvar and his words, Asker began taking mental notes for future reference. Focus and awareness were important, combined they were most important. Know the enemy and exploit faults. Exploit faults? What on earth did that mean? Maybe it had something to do with knowing when to attack and when to defend? Asker had been wondering about how one could determine that. The answer was now becoming apparent. The blue cub supposed that if you knew whether to attack or defend, you'd know how to attack and defend, something else that had been confusing him. If an enemy was bad at defending, he'd have to attack. And Asker would have to attack where his opponent was worst at defending.
"So that's like knowing whether you're going to attack them or defend?" He asked, trying to confirm his suspicions. There had to be more to it than that, and if there was, Asker was sure that his father would let him know.  

[Depawsit]

Vodnitvar could see the little cogs turning around and around in Asker's head as he tried to figure out what exactly his Father meant. He hadn't intended for his comment to confuse his son, and seeing his confusion he was prepared to explain the comment. Though first, he was going to wait and see if he could figure it out on his own. He had complete faith in his son, he just had to give him time to think.

It took a good five minutes before Asker spoke again, and when he did, Vodyd was ready for it.,

"In a way, yes it is. Though it is so much more than that too." Voddy paused a moment to allow his words to sink, as well as to think of how to explain it.

"Knowing your enemy means you are prepared for their every move. It means you have inspected every aspect of your battle and you know every possibly scenario. It is in no way an easy task to master, but if you want to be the very best -" He paused and winked at his son. "And I know you do. Then you have to master the technique." Voddy's tail flicked happily back and forth as he tried to think of something more to add.

"For example, you must know the area your battle is taking place is. This requires awareness. Let's say I am your opponent, and this beach is our battleground. Use your knowledge, and tell me what you could use to your own advantage."

The Captain Britain

 

[The Captain Britain]

Depawsit

Total awareness? Of everything? That had to be impossible! Asker was sure he'd have to be a seer in order to do that. But it seemed like Papa was able to do it, and as far as the cub knew, Papa was no seer. That meant it was possible to do, but it probably took a lot or training. Asker was prepared for that! Maybe it could give him an excuse to spend more time with his dad as well.
Asker scanned the beach. Not counting his super-awesome-unbeatable fighting techniques, he had to use something to his advantage. He scratched a pattern in the sand, thinking again. Something to help him beat his opponent...the sand! "I could throw sand in your eyes!" That was certainly inhibiting. The cub knew from windy days down by the water how awful sand in the eyes was. And it could take a while to get out too. The memory swept him away along a river of thoughts. Down by the water was dangerous one could be swept away by the tide, as he had been so kindly reminded by Nico that one day. "Or back you up into the water, or even against the rocks." With no escape, surrender would be imminent! Well, theoretically anyways. Asker supposed that his enemy could still fight back but...that was off-topic.  

[Depawsit]

Vodnitvar watched with eager eyes as his son tried to decipher the riddle that had been put before him. There really was no right or wrong answer to his question, it was all in the technique the fighter chose as their own. Though some of Asker's responses were unexpected, the blue male couldn't help but shrug his shoulders and nod in acceptance.

"Not bad at all." He mumbled, watching Asker as he explained the sand. "Though you should never use sand unless you need a quick escape. Sand can be a good ally or a terrible enemy. Do you want to be known as an honorable warrior or one who relies on cheap tricks?" Tilting his head, he watched Asker's eyes widen in excitement as he spoke.

This was just the type of excitement he'd been hoping for his children to develop.

"EXCELLENT ASSESSMENT ASKER!" The proud Father applauded his son as his voice boomed with excitement.

"That is an excellent use of your environment to corner your opponent. Use is to your advantage whenever you can, and you will not be disappointed Son."

Patting his son lovingly on the back, Vodnitvar stood up from his sitting position and looked down at Asker once more.

"Now lets move on to some advanced tactics huh? But I think we'll require some better territory for it. Are you up for it?"

The Captain Britain

We can wrap this one up here, and if you want, i'm open for starting up another one!

 

[The Captain Britain]

Depawsit

Mmm yes indeed!
We can continue this directly or do a time skip where they're training more full-on with Asker in his adol stage. Or both. xD

Asker wriggled with excitement at his father's approval. He could have never imagined that he'd do so well! Though he should have known. After all, his father was such a good fighter. It was only proper to think that it'd be in his blood. His chest puffed out in pride, preening a little at the words of praise. This was definitely going down in his memory as the best day ever.
"I'm up for it! I'm so up for it! Up!" The cub danced on his paws, unable to contain his excitement. He was already moving on! Asker couldn't wait to tell Mama how well he was doing. He began prancing circles around his father's feet, dashing about from side to side on the sand. "Let's go let's go let's go! C'mon!" Asker giggled in excitement. He bounded after Vodnitvar as he led Asker to their next training area, jumping in the indents of his father's footsteps in the sand.