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Post by zuyuri on May 9, 2023 16:29:03 GMT
Sometimes, just training in the gym wasn’t enough for Riku to get a good workout in. The woods were just as good. Plus, it was good for mental health, both in terms of his powers getting exercise and his own well being. He exhaled as he swung his practice sword wide. The surrounding trees were dented. Now for the extra challenge; using the shadow of his sword for reach. Inhale. Think of the shadow as an arm’s extension. As Riku did, the shadow of the sword stretched, touching the tip of a leaf. Exhale. Swing. The leaf was knocked down.
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Post by angelofmusic1992 on May 15, 2023 1:57:22 GMT
Bella may have liked the woods for all the plant life and cute forest animals, but Utena usually only ventured there if she needed to get some cardio in. Which was why at the moment, she was running on one of the many trails that weaved its way through the forest. Her sword was with her, as always. She tended to carry it with her everywhere nowadays. And she insisted she needed to exercise with it so she'd be used to its weight. She hadn't been running for long though when she heard a noise. It sounded like someone whacking a tree. Curious, she ventured a little ways off the path to find a familiar face. It was Riku. It looked like he was concentrating hard though. She stayed on the side for the moment, not wanting to interrupt.
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Post by zuyuri on May 15, 2023 16:10:11 GMT
Now for the fun part. The shadow lengthing his blade had extended it to wider reach. Now he could make a clean cut at a distance. He readied his blade, and spun around. The trees further back were whittled, leaving behind a long mark. A twig snapped, and he instinctively pivoted. But as he was ready to strike, the familiar pink hair stayed his hand and his powers. “Utena?” He sheathed his blade.
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Post by angelofmusic1992 on May 20, 2023 0:29:46 GMT
Utena watched in admiration. Riku was good, really good. She admired anyone who could handle a weapon well. She shifted on her feet slightly and ended up stepping on twig, making it snap loudly. Riku spun around, ready to hit. Utena jumped, a bit startled. But he relaxed when he saw it was her. "Sorry, didn't want to interrupt," she said. "That was cool, what you did. You're really good."
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Post by zuyuri on May 20, 2023 2:56:07 GMT
Riku smiled, pleased with himself and glad someone else found his brand of training ‘cool’. “Thanks. Haven’t used that shadow trick in a while. Glad to see that I’ve still got it. So, you just put here for a nature walk. Bella’s rubbing off of you.” He was joking, of course.
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Post by angelofmusic1992 on May 22, 2023 21:28:55 GMT
Utena laughed. "Just getting some cardio in. The woods do have some nice trails," she said. It was especially pretty when the seasons changed and the leaves went from green to yellow and red. "Although, I wouldn't mind getting some sword practice in myself," she said, patting the hilt of hers.
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Post by zuyuri on May 23, 2023 0:12:42 GMT
“This little grove is my favorite spot to practice my sword swings. The trees are spaced just right.” Riku gestured to the collection of trees. The trunks might as well have put in a complaint for bad tattoos or unwarranted grooves cut inside. Riku’s recent attacks were still fresh.
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Post by angelofmusic1992 on Jun 7, 2023 15:44:35 GMT
Utena looked at the trees Riku gestured at. Judging by the looks of them, he practiced here a lot. "Nice. It's nice to get a break from the gym at school once in a while," she commented. To be fair though, the gym had plenty of ways to train, and not just with weapons. They had all sorts of equipment and training dummies for people with an array of powers to practice on.
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Post by zuyuri on Jun 7, 2023 18:20:00 GMT
“Another benefit. It smells better than the gym some times.” The gym had state of the art equipment, but it definitely smelled from how many people worked out. His bampow team would train diligently before each match, and with so many guys sweating as they worked, well, needless to say it took more than wiping down to make the shell go away
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Post by angelofmusic1992 on Jun 9, 2023 1:49:47 GMT
Utena laughed at that. Riku did have a point. The gym didn't exactly smell like a field of flowers at the end of a day, especially when some of the more hardcore jocks had finished up in there. Utena was a little sporty herself, but she wasn't about to become a female bodybuilder. "Have you been doing it long? Practicing with a sword I mean," she said. Students tended to vary when it came to weapons experience. Some had trained with them their entire lives. Others, like Utena, hadn't really started until high school.
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Post by zuyuri on Jun 9, 2023 4:22:55 GMT
Riku stole a look to his practice blade. To think that before, the sword he had been given was made of wood and dented like crazy. Now he had the sword that he straight up stole out of spite. “Three years,” he answered Utena. “I was such an arrogant brat when I started out.” Always so eager to show his prowess. To hone his sword with darkness. Little did he learn a different darkness had been taking control.
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Post by angelofmusic1992 on Jun 10, 2023 20:12:25 GMT
"Really?" Utena couldn't help but ask. Riku didn't seem arrogant right now. Maybe he'd moved on from it. Utena knew the feeling. She'd been quite the rebel rouser when she was younger, tending to hit first and ask questions later. Her temper could still get the better of her sometimes, especially if Bella or a friend was in trouble, but she was a bit more level-headed now.
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Post by zuyuri on Jun 10, 2023 20:20:01 GMT
Riku nodded. “Call it insecurity. I always wanted to one up everyone else, but then I realized just fighting all the time was doing more harm than good.” That and Coach Terra had really drilled into him the conceit of teamwork. At the time he had been too stubborn to listen. Now, well, he knew better
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Post by angelofmusic1992 on Jun 12, 2023 23:50:17 GMT
"Oh." Bella's insecurities made her want to hide from people, while Riku's had driven him to perfectionism. Utena thought it was kind of funny how the same problem could make people react in completely different ways. "Well, I'm always up for a little friendly challenge," she said with a grin. Utena could get a little too competitive for her own good sometimes, but she saw it as a motivator. If someone bested her, it made her want to train harder to get better. And heroes had to be the best they could be.
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Post by zuyuri on Jun 13, 2023 1:07:26 GMT
“That depends on the challenge.” Riku’s green eyes gleaned as the competitive side started to poke out. If Utena wanted to cross blades, that’d be easy enough. But then he pictured her playing BamPow, the sport he played. Utena had precise focus, but could she strike the ball hard? He wouldn’t really know.
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