World Tree MUSH

    With spring wearing on and summer close at hand, the weather on Snowpeak is actually somewhere in the neighborhood of 'tolerable'. It's still awfully chilly, being so high up, but at least the snow and blizzards are gone. That makes it easier to come up for a visit, and Yumi's been trying to do just that.

    Besides, the stars up here are /really pretty/.

    Technically it's still a school night, but the redhead's not too worried about that. She'll get back in time to get /some/ sleep. For now, she's hoping to get up here and visit with folks - or perhaps get in some of that training that Cecil's been meaning to give. That might be nice.

    Yes, Cecil has been meaning to give lessons, and he intends to do just that. That's why his greeting is... nonstandard. Just walking through will find the place quiet, but perhaps Yumi's warrior instincts will help her, even without any special abilities. Because Cecil has seen her coming, and though he is not great at stealth, he's trying...

    So that he can suddenly rush out, boots thudding in a rapid gait and a sudden swing with a blade arcing toward Yumi's side! Of course, he is using a WOODEN sword but that isn't immediately apparent, and he's not going to do more than thwack her with a little sting, not that it looks that way.

    There are many things to be said about Yumi, but one of them is that she's got great combat instincts. She might not carry that bat anymore, but she's been leaving it near the entrance; and after a step or two into the foyer, she stops and goes utterly still - something's nagging her to be on alert even before Cecil steps out.

    Her hand is closing around the grip at about the time Cecil lunges out. She's not able to get the 'weapon' up in time to properly block the strike, but it does blunt the impact just a little. The girl hisses faintly, but takes a wide, sweeping step to one side, and brings the bat up into a horizontal guard, pointed forward. "...that's some greeting," she observes, a faint smile tugging at her lips.

    Cecil steps back with a smile. He's not in full armor right now, he's instead wearing some lighter padding. No helmet, either, so he's visibly smiling. "Well, we're in some odd circumstances." He pokes the sword toward her, but this time it isn't an attack. "Good instincts, though."

    Raising his sword again, he starts to circle, in a steady nudging to the side that measures Yumi's footwork. "Normally, I'd drill you with practice holding the weapon to develop muscles, and with practice moves. You already have good instincts though, and we don't have the luxury of a lot of time. You keep ending up in dangerous situations. So a little real training might work faster."

    Yumi replies with a faint little nod, and a soft, "Yeah, I get you. Though it's kinda weird..." Already, her feet are moving; a smooth, practiced step, countering Cecil's movements almost subconsciously. "...I feel like my body knows what to do. Not the first time, I guess, but..." Her choice of weapon is, of course, quite heavier than Cecil's wooden sword, but her stance takes that into account, stable and strong.

    Her wrists cock carefully, shifting the balance of the bat just so- and then she suddenly lunges in, a thrust with the bat that first looks as if it might have been too heavy for her to pull off. The tip of the cylinder drops downward, dipping towards the floor - but then the girl suddenly shifts her arms, and she's swinging it upward, turning the 'drop' into an uppercut swing. The distribution of the bat's weight makes the movement a bit awkward, but it's still a fair swing.

    "A natural warrior," Cecil agrees, though there's something concerning in his voice. A worry about that. Especially when Yumi moves that way, lunging and pulling off that feint. Cecil is skilled enough to see through it... but the fact that he almost hesitated, that he had that brief moment of doubt, is very telling. In a real combat situation with the stress of battle all around, he wonders if he would have been so quick to parry it.

    And it is a /parry/ rather than a block. The bat is heavier, and Cecil is careful to sidestep and tap the strike aside. "Using your weight... you really are a natural. A heavier weapon than mine. You're definitely well-suited for an axe or club..."

    Cecil strikes back, but it's an exploratory one, seeing what else is in store. "If I got sloppy you'd be landing a few hard hits. Let's see if you can get one past me then." He isn't going easy on her, not in skill. Just in actual strikes. He doesn't want to bruise her up.

    A neat parry, and Yumi acknowledges it with a soft nod, taking a step back and starting to circle again. "The weight feels right overall, but-" In comes Cecil's strike, and once again, the girl moves smoothly, but doesn't quite seem able to get her weapon ready in time. A light thwack, another little hiss. "...yeah. It's too topheavy. I kinda noticed before, but now that I'm really swinging it, it's more obvious." The frown melts away. "...well, I'll see what I can do with it, I guess."

    The girl hefts her club around once, then steps in and swings, timing it such that the bat's momentum and her own dovetail quite nicely. She's keeping a handle on it, not putting in all the force she can muster, but the sheer force required to make sure it /stays/ horizontal will sting a fair bit if it lands home. And it's only the first strike; she manages to haul the bat around through that swing, and bring it in for an overhead strike.

    "Yes, you might need something a little better balanced," Cecil muses. "Instead of an axe, perhaps a zweihander or other heavy sword? That might do you well. Let's see what we can find later." He's not ignoring her though, nodding slightly. "Good reactions. I'm going to keep pressing to build up your defense..."

    But a good offense is good too. And Cecil parries the swing again... only to see the overhead strike coming. No, that doesn't hit him either, but it does force him to take a step back, only to quickly step in and jab at a shoulder. "Good aggression, too many are afraid of it, but it works better if you have some armor in case you're thrown off balance. You have a lot of talent here... I'm getting a workout."

    "...heavy sword... might be worth a try." Yumi files the thought away for now, focusing on the opponent in front of her; this time, she finally gets the bat to move the way she wants it, although only /just/. The length of wood shifts upward, and Cecil's jab hits it in such away that it just 'nicks' her shoulder. And she capitalizes, too, managing to find her footing and push inward in a bid to take a swing down at the Dark Knight's thigh. It's a move that requires her to set her strength against Cecil's, though, and the unfortunate truth is that while she's fairly strong and fit for her age, she's nowhere near the physical prowess of a knight who's been training for over a decade.

    The move is surprising, at least. Matching the strike, Cecil's superior mass and strength does bring it to a standstill... but he laughs lightly at the attempt. "A good try but with a bad combination. Someone your own size would have had a rough time of it." He shifts, showing off some footwork specifically to show it to Yumi, and then steps back. "I think that's a good little match there. You've surprised me..." A little too much. "If I were officially a knight I'd suggest some kind of squiredom. But let's not wear you out too much tonight."

    Yumi herself takes a step or two back as well, disengaging cautiously; it's only when Cecil demonstrates that he's done, that she relaxes her posture as well. "I kinda surprised me, too. It's still so weird, knowing all this stuff without /knowing/ it." She lets go of the bat with her right hand, holding the fingers up and flexing them. "Also brings up a lot more questions about me..." A sigh. Well, at least she's thinking it too. "...But none I'm not already asking myself on a daily basis, I guess." She sets the bat aside, then adds, "Yeah, I think it's probably a bad idea to become a squire on a school night. Would you settle for some snacks I brought from home?"