1891/Fight Me IRL

Fight Me IRL
Date of Scene:	31 August 2016
Location:	Uminari City - Shopping Strip
Synopsis:	Naru and Kyouko have a friendly spar as a way to try and improve Naru's self-defense skills. Kazuo is on hand in case of emergency. Alexis shows up to watch (but he was invited so it's okay).
Cast of Characters:	Kyouko Sakura, Naru Osaka, Kunzite, Alexis Raskoph

---

Kyouko Sakura has posed:
    Down the street from the highrise in which both the ECFH and Kyouko's new apartment are located is a small pedestrian shopping area. It contains all sorts of shops (Including the Crown), but it also contains a public gym. Kyouko has a membership here, originally bought during her powerless time last fall but maintained because she likes to have a place to come and work out in a more relaxed setting than 'fighting monsters'- when she has the time, anyway, which isn't always.

    Now, though, it's the perfect setting for a little sparring. Or training. However you like to think of it. Learning that Naru is taking some lessons, Kyouko had set upon the idea of teaching the other girl a few of their own after their conversation a few days past on the nature of strength and belief.

    That's why she's here today! She's managed to secure a small training room at the back of the gym, the sort used for classes but presently empty. The floor and walls both have soft pads and mats covering them.

    She herself is not in henshin, of course, but is wearing her workout clothes- a pair of gym shorts and a workout top. Though she's far from a muscle-woman, her figure slender and best described as 'wiry', the fitted clothing reveals more than her usual somewhat baggy attire that yes, Kyouko is actually in rather good shape.

    Shoeless, she does take the time to wrap her feet and strap on some padded gloves- not boxing gloves, exactly, but the kind for sparring which are more open at the palm but have padding across the knuckles.

Naru Osaka has posed:
Just down the street from the highrise of awesome and doom is perfect for Naru's current schedule of working in the reno apartment much of the morning, and then doing other things, or more drawing, all afternoon. Today those other things include meeting Kyouko at the gym.

Naru has acquired a reasonable chunk of workout wear herself, and while she's not normally noted for especially baggy clothing, spandex gives a much better idea on the fact that she's starting to find some muscles. And some curves. The muscles being the more relevant here. She prefers leggings just past her knees to shorts, and running shoes and lieu of any indication otherwise.

Naru pushes the door open to step into the small room at the back and grins. "Hey Kyouko."

Kunzite has posed:
Kazuo, on the other hand, looks like Kazuo -- jeans and rolled-up sleeves and all. He's here as an observer, at least nominally, and it's as an observer that he glances up and nods to Naru's entrance.

That he's also here because he's competent for basic first aid -- something a Puella doesn't much need to think about -- and because he can fetch help for more complicated situations in a few seconds ... well, nobody needs to discuss that in front of Naru.

(It's not that he doesn't trust Kyouko to be good enough to avoid things getting more complicated. She is. It's that accidents can always happen.)

Kyouko Sakura has posed:
    Kyouko is in the process of pulling her hair back into a slightly more orderly ponytail when Naru enters the room, holding the black ribbon with which she ties it between her teeth. She flashes a grin to the girl, one hand holding her hair while the other fetches the ribbon and expertly knots it back. "Heya, Naru-chan." She greets, her voice cheerful.

    Stepping onto the mats, she bounces lightly on the balls of her feet, rolling her shoulders in such a way as to stretch the muscles as she eyes the other girl up and down. The nascent musculature is noted with something like approval- she's used to seeing Naru in school uniforms or casual clothes, things which do a decent job of hiding the result of excercise. She's apparently pleased to see that Naru works hard enough to at least show some benefit, even after a relatively short period of time.

    "You ready to have some fun?" She asks, her tone playfully teasing. Her intent here is less all-out sparring and more testing, and maybe offering advice to, Naru. Her confidence is perhaps not undeserved, but it's also within the realm of possibility that Naru could surprise her.

    Kunzite is glanced to briefly, but he came here with Kyouko, so she' well aware of his presence, and why it's welcome.

Naru Osaka has posed:
Naru is examined and she manages not to duck away from the examination by some small miracle. There's a smile and a nod for Kunzite too, but her attention is upon Kyouko and she nods, a bright grin hitting her face.

"You are going to kick my butt." Naru declares with a laugh, but clearly not entirely afraid of that prospect. "Especially if I dont even get a bookbag." She adds with another soft laugh as she comes closer, to join Kyouko on the mats. "I mentioned to Alex that he could stop by, if you didn't mind, so if he does, you'll really have to remember the no magic rule."

Kunzite has posed:
"Don't ask much, do you." There's a glint of amusement in gray eyes, though as usual the rest of Kazuo's expression doesn't change much; he inclines his head to Kyouko a moment after, and retreats back to support the wall. Or possibly become part of it. Like calls to like, after all.

Kyouko Sakura has posed:
    "I ain't gonna kick your butt." Kyouko says, an amused tone in her voice as she watches Naru approach, still bouncing lightly on the balls of her mostly-bare feet. "I mean, I absolutely could, but you shouldn't feel bad about that. I've kicked his butt more'n once." Kyouko jerks her thumb at the lounging Kazuo, though her tone is affectionate- all of those times had mitigating circumstances, but she trusts Kunzite to know she is being playful and not be offended.

    "But this ain't about that. This is for fun..and for practice. Gotta get some bruises in order to get better, ain't that right?" She laughs, a tone of energetic playfulness in her voice that Naru has likely seldom heard, because she hasn't shared many battlefields with Kyouko. Truth is, the girl likes to fight. Even if its just stparring.

    She settles back then. She doesn't raise her fists- Kyouko has no formal training, at all. All of her fighting skill comes from experience. She tilts her head. "C'mon then. Hit me."

Naru Osaka has posed:
"He probably deserved you kicking his butt." Naru notes with an equally teasing grin sent towards Loomy McLooming over there. Kyouko's energy is infectuous, and the sheer joy emerging from the puella is a delight to see. When they're sharing a battlefield, generally Naru is in no shape to notice the enjoyment of her rescuers.

There's also something weird about just hauling off and hitting a friend when you're not actually /used/ to sparring. Naru looks just a shade uncertain before she moves in closer, taking what can only be generously called a pathetic swing at Kyouko.

Clearly bookbags and adrenaline help a lot.

Kunzite has posed:
"True enough," Kazuo acknowledges. Definitely deserved it, at the time. There's no overt change to his tone, either, but somehow it fits into the flow of that energy rather than disrupting it. "On both counts. Though I seem to recall you needing a little assistance to keep me distracted. We should try it properly, sometime."

Neither of the girls is likely to be looking at him just then. So the pleasant air of something with rather more teeth than usual is allowed just to be part of the general background, half melded with Kyouko's.

It does not, alas, help carry Naru's ... attempt at a punch. There is no wince; the too-tall figure at the wall says nothing, and does not move. Not once they've started.

Kyouko Sakura has posed:
    "Anytime, nii-chan." Kyouko says in response to Kazuo's proposal. She shoots a lopsided grin at him over her shoulder. "I'd love to see if I could take ya in a fair fight." Fair, although not untethered. She doesn't want to actually hurt him, after all, and would hope the feeling is mutual- though, in her book, a bloody nose between siblings from time to time is just part of showing familial affection.

    Then Naru.. punches at her. Or at least performs something which vaugely resembles a punch. Kyouko knocks it away with an almost casual flip of her wrist, and scowls. "C'mon, I said hit me, not wave at me." That scowl slides back into a grin, and she leans forward ,raising both eyebrows. "Look, I'll make it easy for ya." There's a mocking tone to her voice as she turns to present her cheek, patting it with a gloved hand. "Right here. C'mon, Naru-chan, give us a kiss."

Naru Osaka has posed:
"Waving is totally different." Naru points out, although honestly, it's not really. She is at least fairly agile on her feet, a fact that running can probably be thanked for. She is ignoring the looming presence of Kunzite, which is irritatingly easy to do, and then there's a little furrow of her brow and a frown.

It's not a /good/ punch, but it is better than the last one at least. "Kisses are something totally different." Naru notes. "Unless I've been tragically misinformed all along."

Kunzite has posed:
Appointment made, though not yet precisely scheduled. The mirror of Kyouko's asymmetrical smile lingers behind her for a moment, then vanishes in favor of studying Naru's movement and balance. Not a word. It's Kyouko's show. But keeping track of how she's changing --

Well. At least Hannah's been putting the groundwork in properly.

Kyouko Sakura has posed:
    Kyouko leans back from this second punch, just letting it graze her, her heightened spatial awareness built over years of close-quarters fighting helping her to judge exactly where the blow is going to land. "That's better." She says, still grinning.. then she laughs at Naru's comment. "S'at true? Shit, I think I been doing it wrong." This is said off-handed, with no hint of embarassment, only teasing provocation.

    She dances to the side, light on her feet, a flowing grace to her movements as she whips out one of her padded hands and lightly raps Naru on the side of her skull. Not even enough to sting, just enough to rock the girl's head slightly. "C'mon. Again. Show me you mean it."

Naru Osaka has posed:
"I'm hardly an expert." Naru points out with a soft snort as she tries to duck away from Kyouko's tap at the side of her head. She's not quite /that/ fast, but she's better at dodging than at throwing punches, that's for certain. Still, she felt it, even if she's unlikely to end up with a headache from that one.

"Seriously? You just move like you're floating." Naru points out as she darks in to try and give Kyouko another punch, confidence starting to settle in, and perhaps just a little bit of stubbown in the desire to touch Kyouko. Without having her lean into it.

Kunzite has posed:
@emit
She's hardly floating. That would involve draining her Soul -- oh, Naru meant it figuratively. Well, that part's accurate enough. Kazuo follows Naru rather than Kyouko; he's seen Kyouko fight under more lethal conditions often enough to have a sense for the way she flits, the way she feints, the way she strikes from any angle but the one that's expected. The way she lets herself come across as harmless for a moment.

That's the set of reactions he's mildly worried about. But Naru's taking the straightforward route for now, as she gets over her initial fears, leting Kyouko weave around her. It's when that changes that he'll need to be concerned.

Kyouko Sakura has posed:
    "It's all just practice, Naru-chan." Kyouko replies, although her tone is slightly preening at the compliment. Naru starts to get a little more confident and a little more determined, and this pleases her as well. This latest punch, with a bit more oomph before it, Kyouko ducks away from entirely, leaning back, drawing Naru towards her across the mat in the process. "Atta girl! C'mon, don't be shy!"

    She's still grinning as she twists to the side and fetches Naru a sharp rap against her shoulder. "Don't try an' watch my hands.. watch my face. Watch where my eyes move. Lotta people look where they're going to hit you before they actually do it."

    She's well-aware that what she's doing is taunting, even aggravating- maybe she's trying to get Naru frustrated enough to stop worrying about holding back.

Alexis Raskoph has posed:
It's kind of hard to get around sometimes, when you don't really know the layout of the city fully. Even more so when you don't know *that many* people around. Which is why it takes a good while for Alex to get here, actually, even with Naru's phone-given directions and such. Mostly he just gets caught up at the gym entrance to get entry, and then figuring out where there the girl that told him to come around even *is*.

Eventually, though - namely *now* - the door to the room slides openwards just enough for a head of a teenager to peek inside. It bears the face of a caucasian boy bearin an inexplicable bandage slapped onto the bridge of his nose, shock and horror. The boy squints his eyes first, and then they widen out again with some measure of exasperation.

"...Hello," he calls out, sheepishly. "Bad time?"

Naru Osaka has posed:
"Watching your hands does me no good." Naru comments as she keeps her balance well, even with the rap to her shoulder and tries to chase Kyouko down to return the favour. "I'd hoped watching your body would do me better, but no such luck." She comments as she takes a swing at Kyouko's shoulder, with a bit more momentum behind it from having to chase her.

Which is when Alexis arrives, and Naru isn't stupid enough to turn her back on Kyouko. She's figured /that/ out at least. "Hey Alexis! C'mon in. Kyouko is kicking my butt, and Kazuo is the one holding up a wall."

Introductions, while trying not to to get smacked again.

Kunzite has posed:
There are several ways in which Kazuo can easily be distinguished from the other two in the room when Alexis entered. One: holding up a wall. Two: not a girl. Three: a couple of years too old for high school. Four: stark straight bone-white hair long enough to brush his shoulders. Five: that means that the end of his hair, long as it is, is several inches above the top of Naru's or Kyouko's head. He might have the leverage to actually hold up that wall, or at least a good chunk of it.

Gray eyes flick over to the opening door, skim over Alex and bandage in a brief evaluation pass, and return to the two girls even as he's nodding his head towrd the new entrant.

Maybe he's secretly a robot, or something.

Kyouko Sakura has posed:
    "Well, then you're already learnin' somethin', ain'tcha?" Kyouko smugly comments in response to Naru's about watching her hands doing no good. Naru steps in with a bit more momentum to try and smack her shoulder, just as Alexis arrives..

    And Kyouko grabs Naru's wrist as the girl lunges at her, using that momentum and a twist of her own hips to attempt to send Naru into an unintentional somersault that will leave her butt planted on the mat. Assuming this goes to plan, she then turns her back on the girl in order to offer a jaunty wave to Alexis. "Hey kid, Naru said you might stop by. You wanna fight me, too?"

Alexis Raskoph has posed:
"...First of all," says Alex, in japanese that sounds surprisingly fluent enough for someone so obviously not-asian, though it is also obviously accented at that. "'Kid'?" That being said, the door's brought to slide open further to fully reveal Alex and permit him to step inside. Clad in white button-up shirt with a hint of red fabric peeking from below it, and with a brown leather jacket left hanging by it's sleeves wrapped around his waist. His posture is also slouched over, but even like that he comes across as 'pretty tall'. Sure, if he stood up straight, his full height wouldn't be even close to the beanstalk (named Kazuo) holding up the wall over there, but he'd certainly match the height of plenty of adults.

"Second," he goes on, and sticks both his hands into the pockets of his jeans after closing the door behind him. "That's the first thing you ask for? I thought you're supposed to like. Buy me dinner first or something. Unless you're mugging me."

Kunzite has posed:
"I wouldn't tempt her, if I were you. Particularly not if you're carrying any cash on you." Kazuo is a reasonably safe distance away from Kyouko to say something like that. In that if she were to make him an example for the deadpan teasing, he'd have at least half a chance of seeing her coming. He doesn't seem too worried, though, sticking to his patch of wall, unmoving.

'Kid' is apparently taken for granted.

Kyouko Sakura has posed:
    Kyouko had just opened her mouth to say something along the lines of 'how much you got on you?' when Kazuo makes his comment, which causes her mouth to shut with an audible click as she shoots a glare across the room at him, though he'd be able to tell from experience that it's not seriously threatening, only teasingly warning.

    Then she looks back at Alexis, giving Naru a few more moments to collect herself from the mats. "Sorry, kid, that ain't how it works with me. You beat me in a fight, maybe I'll buy you dinner, but nobody's gettin' a free lunch offa Kyouko Sakura without provin' they deserve it." She offers a wink which might pass for roguish before turning to glance down at Naru.

Naru Osaka has posed:
That was not part of the script.

Naru thumps solidly against the mat with a soft 'oof' and a blink, a bit of the wind knocked from her. She is not, however, about to let a little thing like 'tossed aside like a toy' stop her, and she bounces up to attempt to tackle Kyouko from behind, or possibly less from behind now that she's turning towards her.

Not that she's quite sure what she's going to do /then/, but that's for future Naru to worry about.

Alexis Raskoph has posed:
Veins pop in Alex's forehead. "Who you calling a 'kid'--" It's right in the middle of those wors that Naru is leaping at Kyouko, and the previous expression of exasperated irritation turns quickly to mild surprise, instead. "...Pipsqueak." Whatever *else* he was going to say is quickly distracted away by the spectacle ahead. He can have his argument once the two girls are done.

Kunzite has posed:
Glare is collected as Kazuo's prize and his due, but he doesn't have time to look faintly pleased about that, because Naru just hit her 'come back from behind' phase. Granted, every other time he's seen this, it's resulted largely in her being either rescued in short order or merely flattened harder, and he's not about to intervene in this one -- but this is also a special case.

Besides. Kyouko uses stabby objects so often, he's never seen anyone try to tackle her before.

He lifts a hand absently, and gestures Alex to come around and join him. May as well keep the potential moving obstacles collected in one place.

Kyouko Sakura has posed:
    Kyouko is focused enoough on Alex that she doesn't even notice Naru coming, and she's still in the process of turning to face her opponent again when the other girl hits her just about at waist-level. Her eyes widen in surprise as she backpedals with a loud 'oof'.

    And she actually does go down onto her back on the mats- and for just a second as she falls, Kazuo might catch a glimpse of something feral in her eyes. Kyouko doesn't like being hit from behind, and there's just a split second when her instincts flare up with fangs bared. But luckily, this time, she manages to control that response, remembering in time exactly what she's doing here.

    That doesn't stop her from reacting though- even as she falls onto her back on the mat with Naru on top of her, she presses her hands to the pat and uses the momentum of the fall to push with her legs.. flipping Naru up overtop of her and continuing the roll so instead of just falling straight back, the two girls do a complete tumble that hopefully lands with Kyouko on top of Naru instead of the other way around.

Naru Osaka has posed:
Do the unexpected. That /was/ in the script. Somewhere.

Naru was only in control of this situation for a moment before Kyouko yanks that control back and sends the pair of them tumbling arse over teakettle across the mats. Naru's grip on Kyouko tightens as they roll, aiming to not get thrown aside, and actually stay close. How that seems like it would be better, uncertain.

Naru realizes that staying close wasn't her best plan when she's now pinned under Kyouko and she lets go just enough to smack Kyouko one in an effort to distract her enough to let Naru wriggle free.

Alexis Raskoph has posed:
The european boy clicks his tongue against the roof of his mouth before he starts shuffling his way towards Kazuo -- he might not have been looking directly at the man, but the gesture was noticed from the corner of his eye, at least. And somehow, even when he sets himself into a lean against the wall, he still manages to keep that hunched posture there.

"This always like this?" He asks in a murmur then, directed sidelong to the considerably taller man.

Kunzite has posed:
"This is the first time they've been sparring," Kazuo answers Alex, low-voiced and apparently unconcerned. "Usually when some idiot jumps Naru, she applies the 'hit the hard parts with an instrument' principle. But she's not so good at applying it effectively, so Kyouko offered to give her a hand."

His mouth just barely twitches at one corner. "At worst, it'll get her over being shy."

Not that 'shy' is an adjective frequently applied to Naru, anyway.

Kyouko Sakura has posed:
    Despite the fact that she managed to maintain control of the situation, ending up straddling Naru's midsection on top rather than pinned beneath her, Kyouko is still momentarily disoriented by the unexpected tumble, slightly winded- which gives Naru the opportunity to smack her in the side of the head.

    This one connects with a loud 'slap' and Kyouko flinches away, suddenly snarling. "Ow! Son of a-" And her fist pulls back to possibly do something unfortunate.. until she again pauses, then laughs.. her grin turning more jauntily amused as she stands up, dancing a few steps back from Naru. "Heyy.. that's the spirit!" She says, wolfish expression intent on the other girl.

    "I knew you had it in ya, Naru-chan. C'mon, see if you can do it again." But now she's watching, wary.. no more free hits.

Naru Osaka has posed:
The fist pulling back makes Naru turn her head, arms coming up to shield her face in an expectation that she's about to have the stuffing removed from her skull.

The laugh makes her peek and then she's free to scramble to her feet and she grins. Delighted with herself, actually.

"There's room enough if you two wanted to spar too, you know." Naru comments over in the direction of Kazuo and Alexis. "We're not taking over the whole room." Immaterial of the fact that supervision is warrented, it seems likely that close supervision is probably not so dire.

Naru watches Kyouko, just as she herself is being watched. Direct toe to toe? Not so much. She feints a few times, trying to get a sense of how to surprise Kyouko next.

Even if that's likely delusional at this point.

Alexis Raskoph has posed:
"You just keep goin'," Alex insists from over by the wall, and for once he draws a hand out and up from his pocket to wave it from side to side dismissively in front of him. "Don't like to fight when I need to." Which is TOTALLY why he seems to have bruises and a broken nose on him more often than not. Totally. "Better we keep watch anyway, in case of an accident. Right?"

Kunzite has posed:
Kazuo doesn't stiffen, when Kyouko's fist pulls back; he doesn't move, and the rhythm of his breathing never alters; but his eyes narrow the slightest fraction until that pause and laugh signal her catching herself.

"Right. We have three at a time, right now, not four." He makes a low sound, half-amused. "Should see if we can talk Daisuke into playing oversight, sometime. We don't see him enough. And the way half of us fight, 'Animal Care' sounds about right."

Maybe they can pay him off with milkshakes.

Naru Osaka has posed:
"You're just enjoying watching." Naru sends in accusation back to Alexis and then with a brief grin over to the two males holding up the wall. "Or you don't want to get your butt kicked /too/." She notes, teasing.

Wisely, she's not /entirely/ turning away from Kyouko. The glances towards Kazuo and Alexis are brief, although they are little snatches of not fully paying attention to the puella.

"I want to introduce Alexis to Daisuke." Naru adds into that. "They'll be at the same school. I haven't seen him in ages. Just texts."

Kyouko Sakura has posed:
    Kyouko is still grinning as she watches Naru climb to her feet and listens to her teasing Alex.. though she appears relaxed, her eyes are focused on Naru even as the other girl atches her. That's good- she likes the attentiveness she sees, the few feints (to which she doesn't react more than perhaps a faint twitch), and the aggressive desire to score another hit. These all speak to her of 'spirit', and the fact that Naru has that and isn't instead calling for a break pleases her immensely.

    That doesn't mean she lacks the desire to re-assert her dominance though. Or maybe she's just showing off a little bit for this new guy- and Kazuo, though she hardly needs to impress him. Doesn't mean she doesn't like to look good in her nii-chan's eyes.

    This combination of factors is what leads her to suddenly, and for the first time of this little sparring match, attack Naru. There is warning, if you know to look for it- a faint tensing, leaning forward on the balls of her feet- and then she moves quickly, fluidly, lashing out to strike once, twice, three times, hitting for hip, chest, and head before ending with a sweep to Naru's ankles to try and knock her back on her bum, all in a brief second of explosive movement.

Alexis Raskoph has posed:
"I have *no idea* what you are talking about!" Alex insists indignantly back at Naru with his hand coming up to wave in the air all over again.

For a moment, his attention turns to KAzuo and... well. He just squints his eyes into narrowed slits of suspicion at the man. "...What do you mean 'animal care'?"

But, it's hard to keep your attention away from the fight for very long. He can see those telltale signs of an incoming onslaught, afterall, so he winces before the punches even start gettin thrown out. And then all over again when they start flying. The face of curiousity has thus turned into a face of concern.

Kunzite has posed:
"There's Mifune, for one. Treating him would probably be the closest a non-professional would get to treating a live bear." Mifune, otherwise known as Nephrite. Kazuo doesn't take his own eyes off the fight. It's not as if he'd have timed that comment on purpose so that either of the girls who caught it might be at potential risk of a particularly unfortunate laugh. "You're Verone, then?"

There's no dispute whatsoever from him about the likelihood of enjoying watching. Though, granted, not for the reason that applies to most teenaged boys.

Naru Osaka has posed:
Defense really is more Naru's strong suit than offense.

Which isn't saying much, the bar is very low. Naru /is/ attentive and she had that warning. She doesn't have the reflexes to do much with it other than just start to turn, to present Kyouko with less of a target to smack, and try to dodge out of the way. She doesn't even have time to snicker at the mention of Mifune as bear.

Instincts and reflexes take time to develop. Practice, lots and lots of practice, and a whole lot of what is happening exactly at the moment. That bit where Naru gets bruises to show her where she needs to learn to block faster (or at all). She seems to get herself to block the shots exactly /after/ Kyouko's left the mark, and then she's on her butt. No screaming, not even little yelps, but soft sounds of irritation.

There's just a moment of being there, not even winded this time, at least not quite so much, as Naru's brain attempts to put back together the last second and quite how she got here. "That didn't go as planned."

Alexis Raskoph has posed:
"...Fights kinda rarely do," Alex calls over from the wall with another wince. "You okay over there?" There's still some concern apparent in his voice, even in spite of the fact that it's all meant to be a friendly spar, more or less.

He doesn't know Mifune, so the bear comment goes straight over his head. But it DOES draw him to send ANOTHER suspicious look Kazuo's way.

Kyouko Sakura has posed:
    Kyouko doesn't fail to notice the way that Naru does attempt to block her strikes- she just can't keep up with Kyouko's speed. But the instincts are there, they just need to be nurtured. It's to her credit that Kyouko doesn't smirk at the downed Naru- she actually likes the girl, and while a taunting smirk is not off the table in a more evenly-matched bout, she really doesn't want to discourage this opponent. She has enough wherewithal to think about things like that.

    Instead, she offers a hand, and should Naru take it, she hauls the slightly-shorter girl back to her feet. Alex calls out some salient advice, and she nods. "Kid's right," She comments. "You gotta be ready for anything. You actually didn't do too bad, all things considered.. we just need to get you to be faster. That'll come in time.. s'long as you keep practicing."

Kunzite has posed:
Good. Naru didn't stop at the comment. That's what Kazuo was looking for. "We're going to need to get her a helmet if you're going to keep that up," he comments to Kyouko, tone neutral as ever. Then again, given the temptations Alex has dangled, they might be getting her a helmet anyway. If of a different sort.

(This is the problem with sparring with people who can heal themselves. Their instincts don't always remember that other people can't.)

"She's right, though," he adds to Naru more directly. "That turn was a good idea. Seeing straight yet?"

Naru Osaka has posed:
"I'm good." Naru confirms over to Alex and Kazuo as she accepts the hand and gets back up to her feet, twisting and stretching out the spots that are probably protesting, or will be once they're done. "Although I expect I will /really/ appreciate a hot bath tonight." And probably a couple of pain killers to follow it up.

She laughs, giving her head a shake. "I'm willing to keep practicing, cause I've a lot of incentive to possibly, just maybe, once. Just /once/, get to text you guys afterwards. I'm not sure it's /possible/ to get fast enough to keep up with you, Kyouko."

Naru nods to Kazuo at his comment about turning. "I wanted to kick, but I was on my butt before my brain caught up with that idea."

Naru is still paying attnetion to Kyouko, even if only out of the corner of her eye. Turn around is utterly fair play, and ambush isn't out of the question, bruises or not.

Alexis Raskoph has posed:
Aaaaaaand Alex's forehead goes all vein-poppy all over again. "Who are you *still* calling a kid, pipsqueak?!" He is WAY too easy to rile up, apparently.

An indignant grunt comes up along his throat and his hands both return into his pockets again, while his lower body leans it's weight further into the wall behind him while his back remains arched forward in that delinquent-slouch.

Kyouko Sakura has posed:
    Kyouko is still watching Naru, too, with a half-skewed gaze, because she can sense that th girl is far from giving up- and again, this is something she highly approves of, but it's probably better for both of their sakes' that Naru doesn't hit her from behind again. She laughs softly. "Oh, it's more than possible. I've sparred with Hannah a few times.. even without.." She casts a sideways glance at Alex, "..advantages. That chick is crazy good at punching things."

    To Kazuo, she makes a face. "Ehhh, I'm bein' careful, nii-chan, I ain't gonna hurt her. I like Naru-chan." She grins.

    Then Alex is getting all whiny about her choice of appelation, and she smirks at him as he protests. "I'm callin' you 'kid', kid. Whatsa matter, your pride that fragile?" She quirks an eyebrow at him. "I'm right here if you wanna have a go. I'll take ya both on at once." She includes Naru in the gesture.

Kunzite has posed:
Maybe Alex got Kazuo's share of easy-to-rile. That'd explain a lot. White-hair stays leaned back against the wall, arms folded, just watching again now. Switch flipped back to observer mode, with the delivery of Kyouko's challenge, rather than commenter.

(... definitely secretly a robot.)

Naru Osaka has posed:
"I haven't sparred with Hannah yet." Naru comments, almost disappointed in that really. "She's been crazy busy, we haven't even entirely kept up with running together, but Zo.. Izumi runs with me when she can't."

"I'm glad you like me, Kyouko, because I really dont' want to be on the wrong end of you /not/ liking me." Naru quips and then she goes back on the offense. Hoping to surprise Kyouko while she's challenging Alexis, even if she's including Naru in it.

Not as fast as Kyouko to begin with, and honestly getting slower rather than faster as muscles are treated to bangs and bumps and unfamiliar motions, Naru moves in as if she's going to go for another punch, but instead tries to sweep Kyouko's feet from under her with her own legs and get her back on the mat.

Alexis Raskoph has posed:
"Try getting tall enough to not look like a kid first, pipsqueak," Alex grumbles with his tongue clicking out again in irritation. "That being said..." A hand draws up from his pocket, and turns to point two fingers towards Kyouko directly. "I don't *like* beating up people smaller than me. Besides--" His own mouth quirks upwards ever-so-slightly, right on time with NAru coming at the redhead again. "She ain't done yet."

Kyouko Sakura has posed:
    Kyouko rolls her eyes at Alex's rejoinder. "You're like, a dude, so I'm never gonna be as tall as you, but anybody who judges me, or anybody, just by how many inches they are from the ground ain't worth-"

    Her mini-tirade is cut off as Naru comes after her again, although she doesn't exactly get caught- Naru is getting tired, and Kyouko is at least somewhat paying attention. Still, she raises a forearm to block the punch that never comes. A good feint, but she's able to skip away from the sweep before it lands. "Nice one, Naru-chan." She laughs, genuinely, not patronising.

    Then she darts in again, aiming a lightning-quick jab to the other girl's midsection, though she pulls it at the last second so even if it hits it won't completely knock the wind out of the girl.

Kunzite has posed:
"Trust me," Kazuo says -- quieter than before -- as he watches the two girls. "With Kyouko, beating up someone smaller than you is going to be the last of your worries." His expression hasn't changed; but there's a distinct note of pride in his voice. Then again, Kyouko did just address him as her older brother, so maybe he's biased.

Naru Osaka has posed:
Stamina for running and stamina for sparring are different, Naru is discovering. Related, but different.

"Oh! Don't even /try/ the height stuff!" Naru protests back to Alex, her attention really still on Kyouko, but Naru is even shorter. Not that she is the one Alex really needs to worry about being able to beat him up.

There's a soft note of irritation as the sweep doesn't pan out, and she's trying to move away from the jab, her body curling away from the fist coming in her direction. There's a soft oof as she feels the hit, not with the force it could have, which would probably knock her senseless, but enough to remind her in a whole new spot of where to dodge.

Naru isn't quite done yet, attempting to use the twist that she hoped would mitigate the punch just as winding up for a solid direct hit of her own.

Alexis Raskoph has posed:
"Something about pots and kettles," says Alex with his tongue sticking out in Kyouko's general direction -- Naru is thankfully nowhere near enough him to try to snap it from his mouth this time around.

That bein said, he falls quiet pretty quickly after, eyes narrowing slightly while he follows the movements of the two girls on the mat. He keeps an eye on Naru, too, but-- mostly his attention seems to be on Kyouko, instead. Following every motion she goes through, studying them, taking count.

Kyouko Sakura has posed:
    Naru's twisting punch actually does land- that's good, using momentum to your advantage, even when it's bad momentum. Even so, Kyouko manages to twist in turn, almost mirroring Naru's movements as if the two of them are dancing instead of trying to (playfully) beat the crap out of each other. Naru's fist grazes her side- a hit, but not a strong one.

    In return, she once again grabs Naru's wrist, twisting it deftly as she steps back and sweeps her leg around at the same time. This time, she twists Naru's arm up behind herself while simultaneously hitting the girl's ankles, attempting to drop her down to a kneel with her arm held back in a submission hold- although it's lightly held, not meant to cause undue pain.

Naru Osaka has posed:
Dancing. Naru is better at that, and if she thought of it in those terms, she might be doing better. She'll take a hit, any hit even a light one, on Kyouko with some measure of pride.

Not that she's got much time to appreciate the hit as she's too slow to avoid getting grabbed, the jerk back of her hand coming as Kyouko's grip is already tight, and it only ends up making the twist of her arm inadvertently a bit more sharp for just a moment. She's on her knees with a solid thump only a moment thereafter, and there's another of those pauses where Naru is attmepting to work out just quite exactly how she got here, her breathing heavy.

Kunzite has posed:
"Done," Kazuo comments aloud. Not just for the sake of the moment, since he follows up: "If you do more now, Naru, you'll lose ground rather than gain it. Take a break." Straightforward imperative, there, without any polite phrasings or workarounds to soften it.

The glance Kyouko's way is also straightforward, if with less attention drawn to it. Before tonight, he hasn't seen her do anything reasonably indirect in a fight that hasn't involved flat-out magic. Definitely pleased.

Alexis Raskoph has posed:
"He's right," Alex lets out in agreement, and jerks a thumb over towards the way of Kazuo before the hand makes it's way back down into his pocket once again. "Sit down a bit, get some water. This stuff can get to you really quick if you're not used to it, you know." He tosses a look to the way of Kyouko too, though. Still studious. Thoughtful. There might actually have been the briefest moment of respect glinting in his eyes. It's very very very brief though. Barely noticable. He'll probably claim it wasn't even there if anyone asks.

Kyouko Sakura has posed:
    For her part, Kyouko doesn't even appear to have broken a sweat, although her breathing is slightly labored. Score a point for Naru! As Kazuo speaks up from the sidelines, she obeys without hesitation, letting Naru's arm loose, though she helps the girl back to her feet as well. Her grin is lopsided and single-fanged as she claps the other girl on the shoulder.

    "That was good Naru-chan, real good. You got good reflexes, I can tell. We just needa work your speed. I been doin' this a long time, remember. It don't come overnight but over time, if you stick with it, we'll be able to have a real fight, I promise."

    Then she trots over to where her workout bag is stashed along the wall, and there's a bottle of water there as well that she scoops up and takes a swig from, before padding over to near where Kazuo and Alex stand. The latter she gives a look somewhere between dimissive and haughty, but to the former she beams a toothy smile. "Aint that right, onii-chan?"

Naru Osaka has posed:
Naru really does consider just stretching out on the mat in a flopped heap of 'okay, that was probably a little more than enough'. One can see that temptation in her eyes before she accepts the help up to her feet and she smiles back to Kyouko's grin. "I'm not sure which one of you is going to kill me faster, you or Hannah." The tone is affectionate, no matter how sore and tired she is.

"I fear sitting still too long is going to let everything seize, and I found out the hard way that that's its own kind of suck." Naru moves over to where her things are, to retrieve her own water and then follow Kyouko back to where Kazuo and Alex are. She takes a drink of water and then uses the bottle to gesture at Kunzite. "Remember the whiney texts when I started running? Yeah. If I can't lift my phone tomorrow morning, consider one of those sent."

Kunzite has posed:
"Don't worry. If I don't hear you complaining by the time you should be leaving for the gym, I'll rouse the resident pre-med and swing by to make sure you haven't gone into rigor mortis." Kazuo's faint smile does not make that sentence less of an amiable threat.

"Kyouko's right, though. You've gotten through enough to be trying, and that's the most difficult part. Everything from here on in is learning what to try and how to do it better." They should probably actually teach her some things, rather than just letting Kyouko loose. Easier if it's managed. And Hannah should be anything but her only source for that one.

But the spark's best for the first try, and he glances toward Kyouko and her mostly-confined mane of bright hair and lets his eyes crease at the corners. "Besides. 'Decent warmup' for Kyouko is better than some people will ever get."

Alexis Raskoph has posed:
"...I'm not sure it's *that* bad," Alex offers with a faint little smile appearing momentarily. It's mostly sheepish.

Kyouko earns herself another stint of his tongue being stuck out at her, however. Pbbhbthtbh.

"Good going, though," he goes on to tell Naru, then, and actually holds his hand out in a fist towards her general direction. The intent of it might not come across very well with the cultural differences. Or maybe it does. What does Alex know about the internationality or lack thereof with fistbumps?

Kyouko Sakura has posed:
    "Don't trust Hannah too far, alright?" Kyouko says, just a hint of warning in her tone. She hasn't been able to forget the bad blood between them, even all this time later. "I know she seems like a big teddy bear, but I still think ya'll are way too willing to forget.." She sighs after a moment. "Well.. maybe I ain't in any position to talk about that." She's been forgiven for a lot of mistakes herself, after all. Difference is, at least she's made an effort to change. She hasn't seen that from Hannah. But she doesn't press the issue, not now.

    She beams at Kazuo's compliment. "I'd really like to have a spar with Mako-chan sometime, but she's a little harder to approach about stuff like that.. still, I feel like she could give me a good workout." She smiles to Naru. "But I'll spar with you any time you like, Naru-chan. It's important for you to get better cuz.." She trails off, eyeing Alex.

    She turns her chin up at his tongue-sticking. "I'mma go get changed. Back in a minute." And she grabs her bag and heads for the locker room.

Naru Osaka has posed:
The groan that emerges from Naru at the mention of 'time you should be leaving for the gym' indicates that someone had forgotten that bruises and aches are not an excuse for missing the gym.

They are not an exorcism.

"Noooo. Anything but Mamo's fussing." Naru protests lightly as she holds up her hands, laughing softly. She reaches a hand over to lightly bump fists with Alex, apparently cosmopolitan enough to recognize the gesture for what it is. "Thanks. I'm getting to learn aches, and while its a good ache, I am going to be stiff. The gym helps, but that was new combinations of muscles, mostly landing. I'm apparently not very good at landing, which I should have remembered."

Naru nods to Kyouko before she vanishes. "I know.. I know.. I promise I get a wide variety of bad influences." She flickers a smile to the other girl and then nods. "I will totally take you up on that, even if I'm just the warmup. It was fun, in a masochistic kinda way." She looks at Alexis then. "You should too, sometime."

Kunzite has posed:
Kyouko's warning about Hannah draws Kazuo's attention; he turns his head to follow her march for the locker room, but it's her hair that he's watching, more than anything else. The tail of it echoes tensions in her neck, sometimes. "You and Makoto would be interesting," he observes. "Maybe that one's better done outdoors, though." Because God help the furnishings. And the walls.

Naru's groan is marked and silently stowed away with years of similarly pleasant memories. "We can work on landings. Not tonight, obviously. But very soon; your record says you might need that again this term." Kazuo gives an apparently unconcerned shrug, shoulders pushing briefly against his patch of wall. "Or you can find yourself someone to work on them with, if you'd rather."

He does not glance Alex's way as he's saying that last. It's just left there, open.

Alexis Raskoph has posed:
Alex tries not to grin at Kyouko.

He fails.

Anyway. Alex ends up giving Naru a faintly surprised look, and his head tips over to one side in a canine-like gesture of a confusion. "Why?" He asks, with a slow blink of his eyes. "I don't like fighting without a reason."

And yes, he does NOT seem to notice the glance sent to him from Kazuo. Not even in the slightest.

Naru Osaka has posed:
"I don't really think of this as fighting." Naru points out to Alexis and then shrugs. "There's no anger in the hits, even if there's adrenaline, and she pulled punches so that she didn't just smear me across the mats. Which is just good control, and I'm pretty sure even Kyouko needed to practice /that/." Naru pauses a moment, thoughtful and then adds. "I need practice, cause I am sick of being feeb when I end up getting grabbed. If you don't enjoy it, that's fine. I won't ask if you want to practice with me."

Naru turns to Kazuo and there's a half smile. "Days. It's been /days/. Day. Almost days at least."

Kunzite has posed:
"Sometimes," Kazuo says, "winning the next real fight you're in is enough reason." He shrugs again, as well, and this time lets it push him away from the wall, standing straight on his own again. The wall does not collapse behind him. "Not for everyone, though, and that's fair. If we all spent our time on that, we'd have nothing to eat and nowhere to live."

And then there are the people to whom fights, one way or another, come on their own. Kazuo's eyebrows twitch upward. (They, like his hair, are white. No bleach here.) "Almost days? That's improving, isn't it?"

Alexis Raskoph has posed:
"...'Days'," Alex repeats the word in exasperation. "Days." Green eyes blink slowly at Naru. "You actually get grabbed by creepoids on a weekly basis minimum? What is *wrong* with this city?"

The german boy lets out a heavy sigh, and his shoulders go slumping downwards. "...I could get up to it sometime, I guess," he murmurs eventually, in relenting, and turns his eyes off to the side. "You know. Just to help you improve, is all."

Naru Osaka has posed:
"One good day, a lot of mediocre days, and no truly bad days since the one you already know about." Naru gives a little shrug to Kazuo. "So yes. I think a bit, but that might just be wishful thinking."

Naru erms softly to Alexis and then nods, just a hint of sheepish in the admission. "Er. Well. Yeah. Which is why I'm perhaps a touch er.. focussed on improving my self defense skills. It doesn't seem to happen to most people, I'm just 'lucky' or something, but its getting seriously old." She reaches out to touch Alexis' shoulder as he slumps. "It's okay."

Kyouko Sakura has posed:
    Kyouko re-enters the room around this time, her workout clothes replaced with standard jeans and black t-shirt. She must be going to work after this, cause thats her general work outfit (plus the apron that she thankfully doesn't have to wear outside the store.) Her bag slung over one shoulder, she approches, catching enough of the conversation to add "That's right. There is a reason. The reason for practice is so what when it comes time for the real thing, you know what to do."

    She stands next to Kazuo, giving him a look which communicates... something, before glancing at Alex. "It ain't that bad, in general. Naru just has.. special circumstances." She does not elaborate. "But she's got a lotta people lookin' out for her, so don't worry too much."

Kunzite has posed:
Kazuo doesn't directly respond to either Alex or Naru, but there's a chain for a moment: his hand lands on Naru's shoulder, briefly.

Very briefly, because if Naru plans to spend time around the boy, Kazuo probably doesn't need Alex thinking he's one of the "creepoids." At least not in that respect. The inevitable conversation about his stalking her house is not going to help anything, though.

He claims his hand back in order to give Kyouko a slight bow. "Just so." -- is that to practice, to the look, or to her earlier comment about Hannah? Hard to tell. "I'll see if I can talk with Makoto, if you don't catch her first," he adds. "Or give me a little notice next time you stop by. Maybe we can arrange something."

Alexis Raskoph has posed:
Though Alex's hand briefly pats itself on top of Naru's, it's Kyouko he ends up speaking to; "You say that, but I'm not the kind of guy that doesn't worry with that kind of stuff."

His hands go down to start untangling the sleeves of the brown jacket around his waist, and he turns a brief, apologetic look to KAzuo's way. "...Very belatedly, yes. Will start at Verone. Blame my folks for that one. Sorry, I guess I get distracted easy too.

The leather jacket's unwrapped and unhung, and turned to permit his arms through the sleeves and properly settling onto his upper body while he murmurs "Thanks for calling me to hang out," with a brief look to Naru. "You can call me too if you need someone to practice with and none of your other friends are available." That said, his hands stick down into the pockets of his jeans again, pushing the lapels of the jacket back along his sides with his arms ever-so-slightly, and turns towards the door, slowly.

Though, in passing, he does toss one more, longer look to Kyouko. And in the next passing step, after his gaze has already left, he allows himself to mutter in a marginally quieter voice, "...You're pretty good."

Naru Osaka has posed:
"Thanks for coming." Naru replies to Alexis as he shrugs his way back into his jacket. "I might well take you up on it, you've been warned."

Naru finishes up her bottle of water and tosses the empty bottle over towards her bag and then looks to Kazuo and Kyouko. "I should get heading home, I should think. There's a bath calling my name. Thanks for the sparring, Kyouko. I really did enjoy it."

Kyouko Sakura has posed:
    "We'll see." Kyouko says to Kazuo, with a casual lift of her shoulders. "I get the impression that Mako-chan doesn't like to fight the way I do. Which is cool.. I just think she'd be a fun opponent." As long as no giant lightning dragons get summoned, anyway.

    To Alex, she says, "Well, worry all you like then. Guess it's better to have people worry about you than not." As the guy says his goodbyes to Naru, she turns back to Kazuo, shrugging and starting to say something when she catches Alex's parting, low-toned compliment.

    She smirks as she glances at him over her shoulder. "No. I'm very good." Self-confidence (at least when it comes to fighting) has never been an issue for Kyouko.

    Then she beams a smile at Naru. "No problem! And like I said.. we should do this regularly. That's how you get better. I gotta get to work myself." She turns to start heading for the door. "I'll see you both around, yeah?"

Kunzite has posed:
Maybe not precisely the way Kyouko does. ... Kazuo does not say that. Never imply promises you might not be able to keep, unless it's on purpose.

"Soon enough," Kazuo says. One way or another.