[PRP] Dress to Impress [Moto'Spaki x Moto'Seide]

[wooga Paes]

Like, undoubtedly, several others, Moto'Spaki had heard a few rumors going about that their Legate was looking for a temporary replacement. He decided to look into this for several reasons, not the least of which was his own ambition. Because of course he had ambition, as did just about any lion in this desert. There were of course a few other reasons, like altruistically wanting to 'help out' where he could, and simply to make sure no one less adequate got the job. He trusted himself more than he trusted some other lions for this sort of position, anyways. While on the bright side he could assume Moto'Seide had good judgement and would pick someone suitable, even if it wasn't him, he just... rather it be him anyways.

That wouldn't happen if he didn't actually put his best foot forward and actually get to work about this. The first part was already done, thinking it through. This had never been very difficult for Moto'Spaki, and so it hadn't been much trouble at all. The second part was actually talking to Moto'Seide.

She was easy enough to find, even more so to identify, as he'd been journeying under her command for some time now. He didn't feel nervous about whatever might turn out from this encounter, and so once he was sure Moto'Seide wasn't absorbed in anything else (interrupting her would be rude, and probably not do much to put him in her good graces) he went on over.

"Legate," He greeted, in his usual blend of politeness but not overly friendly. Simply because he wasn't honestly very friendly. He also waited the appropriate amount of time for some sort of acknowledgement before going on. "The are rumors going about that you're on the lookout for a temporary replacement. If they are true, I'd like to request you consideration." He figured getting to the point was important, she probably had stuff to do. But of course Spaki didn't imagine it would end at just that; the rumors had also mentioned interviews, after all.  

[Kaelyndra]

While Moto'Seide was not exactly surprised to see Spaki heading in her direction, she still felt a sort of pleasant success in his behavior. As a sentinel, he had never given her any trouble. However, it did not mean that he could lead.

"Soldier," she answered him with an equally formal air. "That particular rumor is true." Or, parts of it were. Delineation from facts was an unspoken law with rumors.

"The process requires an interview. Are you prepared to do this now?" The Legate rolled back her shoulders and motioned with her head to the relatively empty sands behind them. As most had found her on the training grounds, the Legate had utilized the close area for military matters.

wooga Paes

(( Delay for Christmas events! Now I can get back and down to business. 8] ))

 

[wooga Paes]

He hadn't really doubted the rumors anyways, so only nodded briefly at her confirmation.

Since he had also heard the bits about there being an interview, he had already done whatever extra pondering and thinking he thought he might need. For most part, Spaki didn't honestly need much, nor could he really think of how to prepare well for such a thing. So all he really did was refresh a few concepts in his mind, the sort he thought would be relevant for this sort of thing so they could be more quickly called upon.

"I am prepared." He nodded, and once she moved, headed in the direction she indicated.

Kaelyndra

 

[Kaelyndra]

Moto'Seide nodded in return, and turned on her heel. The Legate's long strides wasted no time in reaching the indicated spot on the sands.

It was dipped-in a rift caused by the last large sandstorm which had swept the Firekin. The hard rock beneath was so close, it could almost be smelled. Certainly, if the winds swept through again, they would rip the stones bare. Caverns and caves had been opened this way, and filled this way as well.

Moto'Seide took a moment when she came to a halt, her eyes surveying Moto'Spaki as he thought. The Legate still did not take long, knowing what she wished to asked of him easily.

Like her, Moto'Spaki did not seem to enjoy flowering his words, or going in rough explanations when they were not directly asked for. However, it was a lack of speaking which could also have been a weakness, not for themselves, but for the rest of the Firekin.

"The well spoken are not held as highly in the Firekin ideal as those with fire. Yet, when water is scarce, sentinel moral is low, and a war needs to be fought, a carefully crafted speech may be the most valuable things of all. What, in your mind, are the essential components of a well-given speech?"

wooga Paes

 

[wooga Paes]

While it wasn't exactly the sort of thing he'd expected, the question didn't make him uncomfortable. He nodded and only took a few brief moments to first get his thoughts together. "Knowledge, delivery, vocabulary." He said, to start off with, quickly organizing his thoughts.

"You need to know who you are speaking to and what values they hold dear to their heart, and you need to understand the context, what they are currently going through. Credibility is lost when the audience cannot relate to you, or you to them." In short, know your audience. "The delivery may vary greatly according to context, but confidence is important. No one listens to the insecure, and a leader who speaks diffidently is likely to inspire only more anxiety. Emphasis and timing play an important part in achieving the desired reaction." Idly, it amused him that the question had been about speaking. The nature of this interview played into that on its own, though he was speaking to one lion, not many.

"And one must know what words to use. A vocabulary too complex might distance or irritate an audience, as well as lead to confusion, while one too simple might make the speaker seem unintelligent and not worth listening to." Seeming satisfied with his answer, and not wanting to spend more words than necessary for the sake of this interview, lest it irritate Moto'Seide, he nodded to indicate he was done there.  

[Kaelyndra]

Moto'Spaki received a nod in return.

Whether his answer had been appropriate or not was hard to say, because Moto'Seide was already pushing him onwards. The interviews speed itself was a test, to judge how quickly one could think on their feet.

"You have served your fellow Sentinels well, Moto'Spaki," she began speaking. Her purple eyes were hardset on the muddied orange of his.

"What makes you believe you can now lead them?"

That, perhaps, was a question for which the Soldier would be more prepared.  

[wooga Paes]

He only tilted his head lightly to acknowledge her first point, as this wasn't a time to glow over praise. Not that he'd ever been the type.

The question could be seen as somewhat tricky. Talking about oneself could often seem difficult. Fortunately Moto'spaki was secure enough in himself not to resort to false modesty, so it was all a matter of balancing honesty, confidence and arrogance.

So what were his qualities, his experience? "I am not afraid to make decisions, and trust my ability to make them at the proper time. I am patient, know how to choose my battles and won't make hasty, reckless decisions if angered." Which isn't to say he didn't get angry. Like any firekin Moto'spaki was a proud sort.

"I also have experience. While I've yet to be in an official leadership position, I've watched and learned from many leaders." A polite way of saying he was sort of old, really. Moto'Spaki had even seen the very end of Kimeti's reign. Hopefully Moto'Seide wouldn't worry about why he still hadn't gotten himself higher up than a soldier, if he really had that much experience. "The lionesses I have helped train in the Outpost seemed to benefit from my instruction." That was about as solid leadership work as he had to account for.

"Lastly, I have and will always act in the best interests of the Motoujamii." A sort of ready answer there, but at least it was honest.  

[Kaelyndra]

It was a very strange thing to have pointed out. Moto'Seide rarely distrusted those of her own flesh and blood. Firekin were strong, loyal, and in the best interests of one another. It was never a question.

Had she not seen him actively work in the Sentinels, she might have pushed him to the bottom of the candidates list right then.

"Of course not," she answered, instead, the lack of neutrality in the statement betraying the brief suspicion that had crossed her mind.

Without signifying anything else, Moto'Seide moved away from him on the sands. She settled her feet into the sand until they could feel the slightly slick hard-rock beneath.

It was the closest thing the Firekin had to learning out to fight on hardground. Seide knew that Moto'Spaki had trained on hard ground, as she had trained him and other sentinels. However, she was more interested in something she did not know.

"I want you to teach me a fighting technique."  

[wooga Paes]

He tipped an ear backwards then nodded slightly, glancing briefly downwards to acknowledge the disapproval she was expressing, but not apologizing. It may be that Moto'spaki's statement should have gone without saying, but once said, he'd be doing worse by regretting it, as if he didn't believe in it.

Not one to dwell on what had evidently been a mistake on his part, he resolved to move along without a fuss, as she had, and simply continue to do his best for the remainder of the interview.

This time it wasn't a question, it was a request. Harder than a question, because while Spaki was well aware of his own skills, he was uncertain of the extent of Moto'Seide's own. Just as it would be with any opponent, honestly.

He nodded, alright, he could figure this out. "You should never get into fight with a particular technique already set in your mind. No one follows a script, so you must be adaptable." As she was surely aware, but if he was teaching now, he should treat her as he would a student. He had no intention of stalling with a lecture, or anything of the sort. "With that said, let's get started." He'd be able to teach her something after they'd exchanged a few blows, and he figured out how she was fighting today. Just trying to be as realistic as possible in a simulated situation, he supposed.

Moto'spaki set his paws and crouched slightly, ready to start at the indication of permission from her (she was still his superior), or defend himself should Moto'seide go ahead and start things off herself.  

[Kaelyndra]

As he spoke, Moto'Seide's eyes remained fixed on him. Her head did not move with his words, but her eyes followed his mouth instead.

As he began to square up, Moto'Seide chuckled. It was brief, and not accompanied by a smile. It was a brief reaction to momentary surprise, she had not expected a warmup match to proceed a teaching session.

Still, her feet slid a little further apart and she leaned her weight on her back leg. The crouched position was powerful, and the Legate was prepared for a lunging attack from such a stance.

"Very well, soldier." Then, she gave him an upward bob of permission to start.  

[wooga Paes]

Trying too hard to make a creative start was just silly in situations like this, so Moto'spaki wouldn't waste his time with such things. He wanted the quickest warm-up possible, anyways, so the sooner they got up close and started going the better. He doubted Moto'seide would be impressed if he took an hour to teach her something, so ideally this whole thing would only last a couple minutes at the most.

So he went with a rather straightforward lunge; not invested enough that he'd stumble should she dodge or block him, but with the intent to hit if she didn't take any appropriate action to prevent such a thing. His claws, were, of course, politely sheathed and he would refrain from breaking skin with any bites. They needn't injure each other for this, both needed their health.

Once the distance was closed he would keep pressing close, aiming blows towards her neck and shoulders, and seeing how well she defended her flanks. Spaki himself usually tried to make sure his sides were never fully exposed, though inevitably such things happened. However, he did little to watch out for his neck area, relying mostly on the natural advantage of having a mane, he tucked his chin to protect his throat. Moto'seide was also likely to have a speed advantage, which was one of the reasons he tried to keep things close and not give her too much wiggle room.  

[Kaelyndra]

Moto'Seide engaged Spaki briefly at first. The two hit, clashed, and she could feel several hard, strong blows against her shoulders.

Yet, Moto'Spaki was a male, and had more bulk in his front. The brute force of a Firekin could plow over a smaller lion, but that tactic would not work here. Instead, she kept moving, rotating her hips to the side and stepping even while her front was in the air. Moto'Seide used her slightly faster speed to force him to continue to move with her if he wanted to strong strike a blow.

And in the mean time, her paws met his, keeping them from hitting her shoulders without hindrance, and her eyes swept over her opponent constantly as she searched for a weak point.  

[wooga Paes]

As he kept up with her movements, he took note of anything that was useful. Now that they had gotten 'into it', Moto'Spaki managed to decide what technique he might teach her, assuming she didn't know it already (that was always a possibility, what with the similar life experiences).

There wasn't a change in his demeanor or evident switch in his focus, as Moto'Spaki's eyes made the natural rounds of looking in the eye, wherever he was striking, or where he had to defend himself from her own attacks. The technique would invariably fail if she were clued in to what he was planning.

He waited until one of the moments where she raised both her paws. Or, more importantly, he waited until she was lowering them, as such things were inevitable. And then, just as the first one (paws almost never hit the floor at the same time) was nearly at the floor, he shot out one of his paws to hook it around, just above her paw pad, and forcefully pull her towards him. The move would work better if they were using claws, as that would provide more grip, but ideally the very shape of their paws and they positioning should make it work.

The move depended on a lot of things to work, really. First off, timing. Her paw had to be in the right place, just above the floor and still curled slightly in its descent. That was just before her weight was actually all on the paw, which would make her too difficult to pull. He actually had to begin moving his own paw before it reached the point, otherwise there simply wouldn't be time. Timing was very difficult to figure out when you weren't trying to clue in your opponent with your eyes. Secondly, he had to make sure his grip was good enough, and he put enough strength into the pull.

Finally, it also depended on her, like many other fighters, forgetting that their paws were just as much a target as any other part of their body. And that, honestly, was the heart of the technique. Most opponents expected you to continually hammer along on their heads, or try to get on their flanks. It was a handy way of getting around an opponent trying to use fancy footwork and speed. He was now trying to use what he found to be the best move with such a concept in mind.

If it worked, at the very least he would unbalance her. Her other paw would have to move quickly to make up for the lost step, and he'd still have one of his own paws free to strike her, so it should create an opening for a good blow on the head.

Depending on how strongly he managed to pull her, she would lose some footing on her hind paws, and then he could also surge forwards at the same time. He weighed more, and barreling into her when she was unbalanced would probably be all the better for him. He had even pinned down an opponent once in this manner. Another time, his opponent had not only been lighter but shorter, and their head ended up colliding against his shoulder. But honestly, he'd rather avoid giving Moto'seide a headache, and any follow-up he made now wouldn't be made with the strength to hurt her; only show that he could, were this a real fight and she his enemy.

There was always the possibility of it not working on her, but Moto'spaki did think his timing had been right, and that he had enough strength to at least succeed in a minor way, surprise and get her attention to the technique he meant to show her. If it didn't work on her now, perhaps she would still recognize it had the potential of being helpful against other opponents.

One of the flaws of the strategy was it didn't likely work more than once, twice, three times at the most, and so you had to make it count on the first attempt. But such was the way with just about anything. One always had to be inventive!  

[Kaelyndra]

It worked.

No, it did not bring the Legate directly off her feet and onto her arse, but it certainly caught her off balance. Instead of landing on the paw and using it to rise again, there was nothing to support her weight.

The large lioness fumbled, drug forwards for a square hit to the face, and ended up having to roll to the side to regain her footing.

And for the Legate, rolling was a last possible defense. It exposed the vulnerable neck and belly. While a break to the spine could be deadly, evisceration was a slow, painful death.

Scrambling to her feet, Moto'Seide shook her body down and gave a nod of approval to Moto'Spaki. "Tell me how it's done."  

[wooga Paes]

He knew better than to smirk at his success, but Moto'Spaki was pleased he had managed to surprise the Legate. He opted for sticking to business, and nodded.

"You need to get the timing right, and wait for your opponent to strike you with both paws. The idea is to pull your opponent when and where they least expect it, just before their first paw hits the ground." He raised one paw in a slow swipe into air, then paused when he lowered it, leaving it slightly curved, dangling just above the sand. "For that you need to start sooner, when their paw is higher." And he raised his paw again, to illustrate.

"You will depend mostly on watching your opponent's shoulders and memorizing how they move. It works best with lighter opponents who are relying too much on their speed, but will also at least trip someone heavier."

That was just about all he could say, really. You didn't teach someone how to fight with talk. "If you wish, you can try it out on me." If she were his student he'd just tell her he was going to strike her and she should try to make it work. But she wasn't, and perhaps Moto'Seide would want to move on with the interview, or end it.