The Start of a Beautiful Partnership (Ximal)

[Ana Sol Starris]

At the connection a sharp pain shot in and through her hand all the way up her arm, gasping and pulling it away, it was all she could do to keep from dropping it. Stepping backwards, she fiddled with the weapon, switching her hand with it and then shaking her other hand. Ana could use both hands eqaully, she was ambidextrous but she ended up using her right hand more than her left. Anas eyes were on his weapon at all times, not his face, so she did not notice how he had watched her shoulders. With a breathy inhale, she stepped forwards and did an overhand swing, leaving herself wide open but not before taking a step back and to the left. Hops in her steps, slightly less quiet as they were more sudden and took more impact on the ground instead of how she would carefully walk about with her stealth. The style how she walked and move was still the same, she was much better when on a constant move.

[Ximal]

Xi followed her movements and noticed her struggling to hold onto her wooden blade. A small light weapon was good but only when it made direct contact however he hadn't expected her to be able to use both hands with equal efficiency, perhaps that would give her an advantage. But not against Xi, he was predominantly right handed however his left was just as important as his right when fighting, during that aspect only he may as well have been ambidextrous. Taking a step to the right, he blocked the blade using the top of the axe taking the full blow on teh metal blade before bringing the heel up and into her stomach light enough to not hurt but hard enough to let her know it would have. "Look at your opponent's shoulders. Don't watch the weapon. If you don't watch that then you cant tell if there preparing another attack. "

[Ana Sol Starris]

Before Ana could react to his block, she was jabbed lightly in the gut, though it wasn't hard enough to hurt; the suddenness of it being there made her cringe and crumple inwardly, not in pain, but reaction and thinking it may have been very painful. Right where she had been hit in the stomach by Kreig seasons ago, to her it still felt a little sore despite the bruises and the swelling having of dissapeared long ago. Recovering by stepping away quickly, straightening up again, she loosened her grip on the practice weapon, jumping a bit to hype herself up once more. "The shoulders?" Ana said a little dumbfoundedly, it had been her first reaction to watch the weapon and not the person. The small woman steadyed herself, but instead of going against what he said to do, she examined his shoulders carefully, how they moved, rotated, yes, she could see how watching the shoulders would be more beneficial but that weapon was imposing... Her eyes were drawn to watch it. "So I've been doing this wrong the whole time..." The mutter could have been heard, and the expression went a little dark "alright, try and hit me.. I'm pretty sure you will, but I want to try and block." Ana stated, or rather requested as she stopped moving a bit, her legs swaying and her free hand held up and partly from her side, used mainly for the balance.

[Ximal]

Watching her crumple Xi re-evaluated his power. Perhaps he'd put too much in and accidentally hurt her, what if he'd done accidental damage? Pulling his axe back and holding it along the main shaft again. Taking a slow breath he held i until she stepped back and began to speak, then he exhaled in more of a sigh of relief. Taking another slow breath he watched her now attempt to filter though what he'd said. Then she began to verbally berate herself or at least try and make sense of it to herself aloud. Xi began to roll the ideas back and forth in his head and listened to her ask for him to attack her. XI sighed. He'd have to either go at full speed but low power or full power but barely any speed. "Alright ana prepare yourself this is going to be fast." He went for the former bringing around the heel of the axe at her side quickly but very lightly. Striking at her right side with the heel of the axe in his left hand. A short sharp action but still one that would be something for her to spot.

[Ana Sol Starris]

Ana watched as Ximals shoulders rotated, the arm swaying, the hand directing and finally realizing if she didn't move- she'd have a very sore side in the morning. Jumping practically, Ana side stepped and attempted to block at the same time, wooden blade pointed upwards and held at the hilt with both hands for firmer hold. The look on the thiefs face was nerve wracking, shock filtering through her eyes, reaction time was everything, right? Ana didn't know enough about which skill in fighting was more important. Attacking, Dodging, or Blocking? Probably all eqaully important depending on the situation. Turning the blade so the tip would be level with Ximals waist, she thrust the wooden tip in a sharp stabbing motion at the larger man in hopes of making a direct, or shy of a hit on Ximals person. But in turn left the small womans defence clean open for just focusing on doing the stabby mc'stab stabbin.

[Ximal]

As his axe flowed around soaring at her side he smiled as she jumped to block it, using her full body weight to block the blow. Then she did something he didn't expect and he wasn't prepared for she turned her block into a thrust with the same motion, bringing the blade from the base of his axe. Round and through to a thrust at his midriff with one motion. Xi stepped to the side pulling his body across with only milliseconds and felt the wood graze his side very lightly. Perhaps...She had some potential. Xi pulled his axe back sliding it back onto his back. And gave her not quite a smug but rather happy look. "Now i teach you how to fight without your weapon. As you may not always get a chance to go for it.Now sheath your weapon and i'll teach you how to defend yourself another way. Also nice work with the thrust i didnt see that comeing and you almost got me."

[Ana Sol Starris]

Returning back to the same, on edge position, Ana held the sword in one hand while her free hand remained lifted for balance. But Ximal was putting his weapon away, so Ana straightened up and relaxed a bit- giving him an odd, excited look. She had done something completely on her own whim, and she had almost struck him, barely. Perhaps they were going to fight some more with the sword? Yet he spoke of the fist fighting Ana mentioned earlier in question. "The fist fighting then?" Ana questioned a second time, scurrying to place her practice sword next to the buckler "how would that help me though? I barely pack a punch.. litterally." The small sneer was beginning to form, the doubt within her mind festering over such feats, she'd never be able to bring someone down with how small she was currently. Coming back, Ana gave him an expectant face, hands clasped together and hanging in front of her limply.

[Ximal]

Xi poked ana's forehead lightly and pushed her back not hard and not hurtfully. just playfully trying to get her to stop moping and think. There is more than one way to fight ana. You an take on people with brute force or technique. There is a way of fighting that doesn't require a lot of strength, just a lot of practice. That's what i'm going to teach you if you want. And this can be used on opponents as big or even larger than myself if you run into one. All it requires is that you knock them off balance first. Which can be done in a lot of ways, the most common way is letting them attack, and then turning their momentum into your own attack power." Xi now walked to stand behind her and help shift her feet and arms into position, she'd need her hands open enough to grab hold of things but closed enough to get them to move quickly, her arms would have to be nent, and high. Her legs bent and crouched lightly.

[Ana Sol Starris]

Shutting her eyes tightly as he poked her head, hunching her shoulders slightly as he had done so, and then peeking an eye open up at him having of expected something worse to happen. Nothing did, he just began talking, the expression on her face didn't change much, she still had that expectant look in her eyes, but now mixed in with a bit of contemplation. Techniques that don't require alot of brute strength? Gods knew she needed more than what she currently had, having of been constantly reminded and dogged over about her past cowardice. With eyebrows narrowed and lips straight and tight, she stared up at him, listening of course before switching to paranoia as he got closer, moving behind her. Everything in her body went tense as she froze, knees locking in place as he had done so, and making it extremely difficult for her to feel comfortable. "What- what are you doing? Balancing, technique, strength, practice- whats that gotta do with you getting closer to me? I don't want you touching me Ximal" Snapping her gaze to look behind herself and at him as best as she could, getting defencive over where he was as the hairs on her neck and arms rose from the little shock, but she didn't move to stop him- trying to at least bite back the urge to dash away from frantically before realizing that what she may have said was a bit much "..s-sorry.. I just don't like being touched." Feeling her body shake under the intense pressure her paranoia had put on her, she might have been trembling visibly even, it wasn't her fault though- it was just a defence mechanism... or at least a very poor one. But at least she was in the position Ximal had moved her into still.

[Ximal]

as he set her into place she spoke or rather lashed out at him for touching her. He deserved it he'd done so without her consent. Any berating he received was fair to him though from her he always got lashed at so it was nothing hew. Still he could tell she didn't like it she was shaking like a leaf. What he didn't expect though shocked him. the fact she apologized fro yelling at him. Or rather using a harsh tone. "It's alright, i'm sorry but i'm not too good with words so i'm used to just putting people into the stances i want them to use. Still that should be a good stand point for you. Your going to learn through doing now NOT talking." Xi stood along side her, only when she got this technique right would he allow her to try it out on him. "Right i want you to copy what i do i'll show you i wont say it if you get something wrong i'll tell you after." Xi nodded lightly before copying her stance. Arms out elbows aligned with chest, knees bent, feet apart. Xi then took his right hand out, and acted like he was grabbing onto thin air. Then swung his body around, so his right foot was directly beneath his right hand. then he hauled his body over and down as if pulling a bag up and over his shoulder and onto the ground infront of him. It looked simple but there was a lot of technique, for starters the alignment of the foot with the hand, the twisting of the hips and finally the short pull. "This is something best used on an opponent whose charging you, armed or not just duck past the initial attack stand then this can put them on their back quickly, once their down their easy prey. And this takes no strength as your letting their speed carry them over you, your just acting as a flipping point."