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Post by Deleted on Apr 27, 2022 10:54:09 GMT -5
• Kame House Island • The small island where Kame House was located was tranquil, almost like a vacation getaway, with its private beach and palm trees and ocean views. It was a stark contrast to the purpose of the pink home, the dwelling of Master Roshi, which served primarily as a training location for the old master's students. The ocean was bright blue, without a single wave, and the sun was warm overhead in the clear skies, but the water gave off a cool breeze that refreshed the mind and body. And when one was training, that combination of environment effects was about as good as one could hope to get. She should be here soon, Trunks thought to himself, as he stepped out of the pink house and onto the grass outside. A few more yards would lead to sand. I'm surprised she contacted me, really. Though how she got her number in my phone is anyone's guess...The young warrior stood and waited. He was dressed in the basics; his black tank sleeveless tank top, his black pants and yellow boots. Casual, easy to move in, good for a spar. And when Trunks noticed the visitor's arrival, he offered a smile and a wave as he approached Rosalind, his blue eyes giving her a once over at the outfit she wore, before he spoke: "Hey, welcome to Master Roshi's island," Trunks chuckled. "Wasn't too hard to find?"With his sparring partner now present, Trunks turned and motioned to a spot on the beach that had been outlined with chalk. It was a decent sized square, with enough room for them both to move and gain space if needed, but the whole purpose was to give an introductory pseudo-training session. Trunks wasn't sure how skilled Rosalind was with combat, so he planned to ease her into it all, unless she proved to be some kind of insane martial artist - at which point he would just try to survive. "I was surprised you contacted me," Trunks continued, as he began to walk over to the sparring square. He was also happy Rosalind did contact him, though. "But, happy to offer my experience. Should we begin?"Trunks stepped into the square, turned and faced Rosalind. He adopted a defensive stance, one foot forward and one back at shoulder width, both arms raised similarly to a boxer's guard. He smirked: "Okay. Hit me, show me what you've got!"Personal Word Count: 400/400 Thread Word Count: 400
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Post by Deleted on Apr 27, 2022 12:46:54 GMT -5
After her first successful mission for the RR (even though she couldn't retrieve the device, only its blueprints - which were altered ever so slightly, making it impossible for other engineers to recreate Unmei's invention), Rosalind was informed that from now on there would be more similar assignments. She wasn't too excited by the idea, confrontations not really being her thing. There wasn't any choice though, everyone in the Army had to carry out orders or face the consequences. There would be a need for her to adapt, and learn something about basic attacks and defenses at least. She couldn't always rely on her artificially enhanced prowess and hope her targets were weaker and unprepared.
Her superior officer probably assumed she had all the combat skills she needed, because he didn't offer her any contacts for additional training. It was easier to just reach out to someone she knew to be a good fighter, rather than seeking assistance from her own organization. Luckily, he turned out to be eager to assist her in learning more about hand-to-hand combat.
She landed on the sandy beach of the island indicated in the directions Trunks had sent her. Her outfit was far more casual and sporty than usual, although still showing the same colors and patterns - a white-sleeved gym jacket with the large motley of red and blue on her torso, and black sweatpants. Her hair was tied into a ponytail.
"Thank you for inviting me. It was pretty easy to find, I used the GPS. Who's Master Roshi, by the way?" She looked around the tiny island. "And do you live here with him?"
She followed him to the designated sparring area, eyeing the house painted in a color few males would have chosen for their dwelling. What exactly was she dealing with here?
"I figured it would take a lot of time for us to run into each other in another villain's lair," Rosalind explained as they walked. "And I found myself needing some training. You seemed like you could teach me a lot." In fact, she wasn't even sure how to take an offensive stance (was that a real thing to begin with?). Her purple-haired teacher was clearly letting her go first, arms raised to defend against incoming attacks.
"Before we start, I have to confess - I don't have that much experience in any of this. You might have to show me some very rudimentary steps." In the end, she turned sideways to her opponent, one leg in front and one behind, slightly bent at the knees, her left arm held in front defensively, her right drawn back at waist-height and ready to be brought forward in a punch. She propelled herself forth with her right foot, trying to hit him in the solar plexus, while keeping her left arm bent at the elbow in front of her head to possibly block any blows that could come. Of course, she was not using her full capability, more intent on learning the possible methods of attack than just pummeling the spar partner blindly and hoping it would suffice.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 27, 2022 13:28:32 GMT -5
• Kame House Island • When Rosalind had appeared, her attire had been a relief. The first time the pair met, she had been in a dress that didn't seem entirely functional for the task, so it was good to see her in more training appropriate clothing. That meant she was serious, Trunks could only assume. And with her revelation of the GPS, the young warrior scoffed and nodded. Yeah, that'll do it. He thought, as the follow up question was asked about Master Roshi. Trunks thought for a moment, not quite sure how to best answer that, but felt some explanation was probably needed. "Master Roshi? Hold that thought," Trunks said as he made for the sparring area. Once there, in his defensive stance, he listened to Rosalind's explanation about being in need of training, and how she figured Trunks could offer some advice. That was good to know, perhaps he had made a good first impression after all, not that that had been his goal or anything. "I can teach you some fundamentals, sure. But if you really want to improve, you'll need a sensei or master."Trunks nodded as Rosalind admitted to not having much experience with combat. That was fine, it wasn't an issue, everyone had to start somewhere. And then Trunks watched as his sparring partner adopted a basic prepared stance, with a few issues here and there, but it was solid otherwise. Then Rosalind moved in for a punch aimed at the middle of Trunks' chest, his solar plexus, to which the young warrior used his left forearm to deflect the blow with a sweeping motion in front of him. "Good starting form, keeping your other arm up for protection," Trunks said, as he stepped back several feet quickly, light on his toes. "A lot of beginners drop their blocking arm when they punch. Good."The initial punch hadn't seemed very strong, Trunks supposed that made sense for someone who wasn't a fighter by trade, so he knew to keep his own physical exertion under control. The last thing he wanted to do was hurt Rosalind seriously, by getting too excited or involved in the spar. Remember, this is a training bout, we're seeing what her baseline skills and abilities are, Trunks thought to himself, as he decided it was time to check her reflexes and ability to defend herself. Let's see how she does with a simple punching combo..."Eyes up!"Still with both arms held on either side, Trunks moved forward, his boots kicked up puffs of sand and grit. Once he was back in front of Rosalind, he twisted at the hips and sent out a slow-ish left handed jab - mainly to keep his partner on her toes - then pulled the arm back. But, just as quickly, Trunks did another left handed jab, before he stepped forward and brought a more solid right hook around. All the while, Trunks remained aware of how Rosalind reacted; and if she happened to stumble, or freeze, he had enough control and speed to stop his strikes from landing. But, if she reacted well, and fell into a good defensive reflex, then Trunks would follow through - but at the lessened strength level... "So, you asked about Master Roshi before," Trunks said as he jumped backward for some distance between them, and landed several yards back. "He's a wise and accomplished martial arts master, who's trained dozens - maybe hundreds - of pupils at this house. I don't live with him, I stay somewhere else, but I train here. He's away in Penguin Village at the moment, he used his submarine, so meeting him isn't likely right now... still, if you're serious about learning, he's the man to speak to."Trunks held up his hands and motioned to Rosalind, before he settled back into his defensive stance. "Okay, come on. Try and hit me with multiple strikes. Punches, kicks, show me your speed and balance."Personal Word Count: 652/1,052 Thread Word Count: 1,567
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Post by Deleted on Apr 28, 2022 3:50:34 GMT -5
For now, all she wanted to learn was the very fundamentals. Seeking out an actual master hadn't crossed her mind, and she didn't know how one would go about doing that. That was part of the reason why she contacted the first warrior who came to mind, who was not part of the Red Ribbon Army. But his words made a lot of sense - someone who had actual experience in training people, rather than just doing the fighting, would likely have effective teaching methods, she reasoned.
Her blow was deflected with ease. Rosalind stepped backward, retreating. Nonetheless, her sparring partner offered some praise. So she was doing something correctly, then. Her stance and the initial attack were just a subconscious attempt to imitate the few close combats she had seen.
It was his turn to go on the offensive, then. She kept her body angled sideways at him, right foot behind, left in front. Rosalind was intently focused on thinking of specific ways she could position her limbs to block attacks. Her left arm remained in its original defensive position, but she brought her right one closer to her body, partially shielding her chest, the fist only balled lightly so she could either tighten it and strike or open her palm to block an attack. When the purple-haired youth actually moved his fist toward her, however, she failed to realize it could be a feint, attempting to block it by bringing her right arm slightly forward. Another harmless jab followed, not connecting to her body, before he threw the actual punch. Caught by surprise, she reflexively intercepted it by crossing her arums in front of her, planting her right foot into the ground behind her more firmly. Part of her wondered if she should have moved back instead, and if her staying so firmly in one spot was making her an easier target.
"Does this Master Roshi train anyone who asks?" she inquired, doubtful. "And is this where you learned to fight, then?"
Since it was her turn to attack again, she moved forward a few steps, watching her opponent. She took a page out of his book, pretending to throw a left-handed punch at him but pulling back before it could connect. Then another faked attack with her left, followed shortly by a more earnest-looking thrust of her right fist. Only she pulled back again just before any contact, and it was her right foot that she brought forth and swung around, aiming a kick at the side of his left knee. Whether it succeeded or not, she would leap backward, ready to defend.
"I saw you wear a Capsule Corp patch. Do you work for them?" He was young, true, but then again, she did get employed by the company when she was around his age. Trunks didn't seem like he would be spending his days wearing a lab coat and looking through a microscope, though. Was he perhaps a guard, tasked with fighting off intrusions such as the one that nearly claimed her own life back then?
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Post by Deleted on Apr 28, 2022 10:26:37 GMT -5
• Kame House Island • While Trunks applied some striking pressure, he kept his blue eyes focused and watched Rosalind's movements. Her sense of self-defense, her posture and placement of arms to fend off attack, was solid. She seemed to have some underlying understanding of how to keep the important parts of the body from being struck, which meant that any training would likely help her quicker than someone without a clue, and that would be good generally for Rosalind's well-being and betterment. While Trunks had trained with Gohan in his timeline, that had been out of necessity, in order to survive and eventually kill Android 17 and 18; but from what the young warrior understood about the present, was that some people trained in martial arts for a variety of reasons - sport, health, self-defense, leisure to name a few. It was a weird contrast, as Trunks tried to think of the grueling process he had undergone, and how it might compare to someone who just 'wanted to do it for fun'... but, that was beside the point, as Trunks finished his strikes and readied himself for whatever Rosalind would throw at him in return. "I don't think I've heard Master Roshi turn anyone away," Trunks said as he moved opposite Rosalind. "He might have. But I think he accepts anyone with potential, and judging from your untrained sparring so far, I think you qualify."The second question, about if Kame House was where Trunks had learned to train, was a little harder to answer. And Trunks didn't want to lie to anyone, not unless it was vital to maintaining temporal continuity at all costs. So, instead, the young warrior held his tongue and focused on his opponent - while he took that time to both assess her attacks and consider how to answer the question. It was moments later that Rosalind moved; she stepped forward and threw a left-handed strike, which Trunks shifted to prepare to block with his right forearm, but the hit never landed and was instead pulled back. A nice feint. Then another left-handed strike came toward Trunks, which he again prepared to deflect or block, but the feint happened again - twice - to which Trunks smirked and wondered if the real punch was coming. He supposed it was understandable that Rosalind might mimic his own 3-hit combo, since it had been a functioning example for her to see, given her lack of training. Still, Trunks had hoped she might try something a little different than a jab, jab and right hoo-- A kick?--and with a blink, Trunks felt her foot connect with his left knee, on the outside of the limb. It was a solid kick, good base form and positioning, if a little rough. Still, Trunks was happy, as he took the impact to the knee and nodded to himself. That was when Rosalind backed up, to which Trunks moved forward and kept the closer positioning between them, purposefully in an attempt to keep within range. The kick had been unexpected, Trunks approved: "Nice one," The young warrior said, as he began to weave a little bit, left-to-right then right-to-left. He had thought about the question from before. "I trained with a friend of mine, who became my mentor. Gohan, he taught me everything I know. Now, I'm trying to study further, while I can, and expand on Gohan's guidance and lessons. You should consider contacting Master Roshi, I think he can really help, and get you on a great development path."Trunks listened as Rosalind asked about his jacket, from the day they met, and again felt a pang of uncertainty of how to answer. "Not exactly, but I know people who do," Trunks said simply. "I grew up in West City, so when I was a kid I used to hang around the HQ a lot, since my mom she - uh - created things for the company. Those were good times..."With a shake of his head, Trunks refocused. He stepped forward, to within grabbing distance, and raised a quick elbow toward Rosalind. Whether he successfully did, or not, he continued to step through and aimed to pass her, before he dropped into a low crouch and spun on the ball of a single foot - while he performed a leg sweep with the other, which kicked up sand and grit, as the yellow boot flashed around in a half-circle. Since remaining in such a precarious position made no strategic sense, Trunks instead pushed forward and rolled across the sand, before he came up with his back toward Rosalind. But, instead of turning around, the young warrior glanced over his shoulder and gauged the distance between them, before he raised his knee forward and then kicked backward toward Rosalind with a (strength controlled) donkey kick. Trunks' aim wasn't to hurt or injure, so much as show some alternatives to standard punches and kicks. "What kind of work do you do? Do you work for any big name companies?" Trunks asked, as he turned to face Rosalind again, back on the defensive. "Oh, and you're doing great. For someone who has no training, you've got good form, and that combo change up - with the kick to the knee - was good. What do you think about the idea of training, with Master Roshi?"Personal Word Count: 883/1,935 Thread Word Count: 2,960
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Post by Deleted on Apr 28, 2022 13:42:54 GMT -5
It was a an odd feeling to receive praise for an athletic activity; she was never into any sports, although she had acceptable fitness level even as a human. But given her aptitude and passion for science, Rosalind was usually commended for her research, inventiveness, or problem solving - everything she had worked hard for. Now, in this fight, she felt like she was getting undeserved compliments. As an Android, she had superior reaction, balance, speed, strength and endurance - all built into her artificially, not earned through training. At the moment, she was even questioning if anything else had been altered to improve her performance in battle. Could they have installed some muscle memory for hand-to-hand combat? Not that she would voice these doubts to Trunks, especially while they still knew each other so little. Not many people would feel comfortable around what they considered to be just a human-like machine. Her colleagues at RR, the ones who knew what she was, certainly felt uneasy around her. It was best to keep her condition secret for now, as well as the full extent of her physical abilities. All she did in response to her opponent's praising comments was a slight, awkward grin and guiltily cast-down eyes, which could have also just been taken for shyness.
It felt better to have her kick successfully hit the target, because that specific attack was just her imitating Trunks and altering his technique - while being fully conscious of doing so. She didn't need to worry where it came from, since she could track the idea back to her own thought process rather than just inexplicable instinct. This time she could maintain eye contact while accepting the positive remark.
Rosalind listened to her sparring partner explain about his previous mentor, all the while staying wary of his possible attacks. He was moving even more now, in sharp contrast to her stable stance. "Are many of your friends interested in martial arts, then?" she asked upon learning that Gohan was both a friend and a teacher. "Does it maybe run in the family, too?" He was well-built, after all. Could it all come just from training, or did genetics play into his capabilities and physique as well?
She nodded while he spoke about his connection to the Capsule Corp. It turned out his mother was an inventor. Rosalind wondered if she had ever ran into the woman when she still worked for the organization. Perhaps they even worked together on some project? But it didn't seem tactful to start asking questions about his relatives, especially when she couldn't explain why she was curious about the information. What if it turned out that she really knew his mother, and the next time Trunks visited home he mentioned that? It wouldn't take long for him to figure out that something was off, after learning the actual dates of her employment and about the attack on the lab. It was a relief that he soon initiated his offence, liberating her from the need to respond.
The elbow hit she blocked with her right hand, bracing at the impact. It was genuinely unexpected to see him suddenly drop down, however; Rosalind wasn't prepared for that. Her feet were knocked from under her. The young woman landed on the sand, putting her left arm down to break the fall. She pushed herself upward swiftly, and enjoyed the upright position for a solid half-second before stumbling back down again from the kick that connected with her side. Admittedly, there would have been time enough to try and block or evade it. But she was only a human, and should not shine too brightly during her very first spar.
"I'm fine," she hurried to assure him before springing back up, assuming the sideways-angled stance. Now it was Rosalind's turn to answer innocent small talk questions, making her regret having started the chat about employment. Lying too much didn't seem right, especially if the two of them would keep in touch. But she couldn't reveal too much, either. "I had an internship at Capsule Corp after I finished my studies," and later a job position that lasted a while, which she chose not to mention. Dealing in half-truths was better than outright lying, wasn't it? "I left due to health reasons then, but later resumed working on various engineering projects in a smaller organization." Red Ribbon Army was definitely a 'big name company, but not one she would dare to mention. Soon enough, the conversation moved on.
"Thanks, I'm trying to do my best," Rosalind lied, mildly uncomfortable again. Then she thought about his question, trying to make a decision quickly. Would she have the time for more extensive training? "I would really like to meet him, and see what he has to say about taking me in as a pupil," she said finally. Her left fist shot forward then, with the purpose of actually hitting - no feigning this time. Remaining in close range, she followed up by bringing her right knee forward, aiming for his left thigh.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 28, 2022 14:17:07 GMT -5
• Kame House Island • Trunks went a little wide-eyed as he realized his back kick had landed, to which he stepped toward Rosalind to offer a hand up, but she handled it gracefully. In but a moment, she was back in her side-on defensive stance, ready for whatever else came. In truth, the young warrior felt a little guilty about using the leg sweep and back kick, mainly because Rosalind was in her first spar session, and those moves were intermediate strikes; but at the same time, Trunks didn't believe in going easy, unless absolutely necessary, and in this instance a more advanced kick - with less strength behind it - was more for learning and awareness. Sometimes that's how it was, good or bad, that getting better involved being put into sand or whatever other surface on your behind. Trunks could recall dozens of times where Gohan had sent the younger fighter flailing into all kinds of objects... but, it had worked, and here Trunks was. "Some of my friends were interested, yeah," Trunks said in response to the question from before the sweep and kick. "And maybe in the family, at one time, sure. But not now."There was a sad twinge to Trunks' expression with the last words, but he shook it off, as Rosalind spoke about an internship at Capsule Corp, then health concerns that ended it. That was unfortunate. It also made Trunks wonder what she had been doing, while at his mother's company, and decided he would ask another time. Because, the topic of being a potential pupil for Master Roshi was answered, which made the young warrior smile and nod. He could absolutely support Rosalind being trained, she had a natural affinity for it, and would surely benefit greatly under the old master's teachings. "That sounds good," Trunks said as he relaxed slightly, as he glanced down to push a mound of sand flat quickly. "I could alwa--"Suddenly, Rosalind lashed out with a left-handed punch. Trunks, despite his training, had been unfocused and took the hit to his face with a crack. That caused him to blink, but his body reacted as his sparring partner's knee came forward aimed for his thigh. Trunks didn't hesitate, his mind snapped back into the fight, and he reached down with his right hand - which planted itself firmly on Rosalind's knee, before it impacted - and in that same motion, the young warrior pulled back his left arm and pushed forward with an open palm strike to the center of her chest. The strike was aimed to knock her backward, with enough applied force to potentially cause a stumble or even topple of balance. Oh--...Trunks' eyes widened as he realized what he had done. "O-oh, sorry, are you okay?" Trunks asked quickly, as he stepped toward Rosalind and gave her a once over. "Didn't mean to do that. Body kind of reacted..."And almost at that exact moment, a voice called from the other side of the beach: "Heeeey, we're back and we have the food," Came Master Roshi's voice, as he bounded out of the blue submarine in the water and onto the sand, grocery bags held high to avoid getting wet. "I couldn't find those noodles you liked, so I got you--"The old man's eyebrows almost literally shot up into the sky, as he saw Rosalind. "Oh - uh - Trunks, you didn't mention we had a, uh, guest!""Master Roshi, this is Rosalind," The young warrior said, as he stepped out of the sparring border and motioned for Rosalind to follow. "Great timing. Rosalind was considering becoming a pupil... maybe you could talk her, while I get the other bags?"With a look to his sparring partner, Trunks offered a small smile, as Master Roshi nodded eagerly with a big grin. "You did really well. Hope that last one didn't hurt, though. I'll see you inside... we should do this again sometime."Trunks turned and headed toward the submarine, leaving the pair alone, before he went to collect the numerous bags from inside the vessel to bring everything inside the pink house... Personal Word Count: 675/2,610 Thread Word Count: 4,479
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Post by Deleted on Apr 29, 2022 1:13:28 GMT -5
Judging from Trunks' expression, the topic of his friends and family members was a painful one for him. Perhaps he lost somebody to one of the numerous invasions and world domination attempts that plagued this planet. Rosalind decided not to pry any further.
The young warrior was earnest, continuing their chat about his current master and starting to suggest something. She thought he would be prepared for an attack - the two of them were sparring first and foremost after all, even if they shared a whole lot of information at the same time. And he was an experienced fighter who would know to keep his guard up. Surely..? It was a miscalculation on her part; her opponent was looking downward, letting Rosalind's fist connect with his face. In hindsight, she should have given him a heads-up, like he had done before attacking that first time. Luckily, there hadn't been much force behind her hit.
Since her sparring partner seemed more than focused now, she proceeded with the kick. He intercepted it with ease, and immediately made her pay for remaining in such close quarters. The shove that came was less controlled than his other attacks, sending Rosalind flying backward and landing flat on her back, outside the square the two of them had been struggling in.
"Yeah, I think I'm okay, don't worry," she called back, in response to his inquiry. Rising back to her feet, she heard an unfamiliar voice coming from the other side of the island. The famed Master Roshi must have returned. Rosalind tried to hurriedly dust off as much sand from her clothes as she could, to look even remotely acceptable for this first impression. She ceased the attempts when she realized the newcomer had already seen her. The young woman raised her head, and saw... a frail-looking old man. He was the master? There hadn't been any time to form an image in her head of what she would have expected him to look, but somehow she was sure that this wouldn't have been it. She straightened up and then greeted the gray-bearded elder with a customary polite bow.
"It is an honor to meet you, Master Roshi. Trunks has told me many great things about you." Well, actually only a few things, and more good than great, but it didn't hurt to exaggerate sometimes.
"Oh, has he now? I'm sure he hasn't told everything, though," Roshi puffed his chest up proudly, causing an almost comical effect. Rosalind glanced towards the purple-haired youth, seeking to see if this was a normal behavior, but the boy was already entering the pink house. "So, you want to be my pupil?"
"Yes, Trunks said you would have a lot to teach me," she nodded in agreement, deciding that it was probably too late to back out anyway. "I don't have much experience though, I only just had my first spar."
"Don't worry about that, you'll do just fine!" The old man approached, peeking through the top of his sunglasses and looking her up and down with an overly-enthusiastic expression. Was he always so happy to greet new students? "You certainly have the right build to be my pupil!" She blinked at that, unsure how to respond. "Well, don't be shy, let's go inside, we can have some tea and decide on your training schedule," Roshi urged her, directing her towards the pink building with a light tap on her lower back. Rosalind sighed and went in.
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