Re: The Singing Bone [Erchanhardt/Yugiri]

Sun Jan 26, 2020 9:44 pm

Erchanhardt

Artist: Wagner - Song: Lohengrinn Overture

"Mm... I am a martial artist first and foremost. I have spent a good portion of my life crafting a style of my own, if you wish to learn it. Of course, I have studied a great deal of philosophy and literature as well. It is not as applicable to every situation as martial arts, perhaps, but I have incorporated it into my style as well."

Heading out of town, Erchanhardt naturally gave a few waves here and there to the people of Konigsberg as he passed them. They had become rather used to his newest friend by now, and simply greeted her as if she were any other guest of his. The oddity of her accent, her general awkwardness, none of those things mattered much to them. Their Duke was, after all, not so normal in his own right. To have an unusual friend was par for the course. But, of course, the town did end, and deep into the woods lay what looked to be, frankly, a quarry. Within said quarry lay all manner of simple tools, a plow here, chalk there, and a rather impressive amount of broken earth.

"This is the place. It is removed enough from the town that you may exert yourself fully without worry as to causing any damage. Please do feel free to come here any time you need, should the courtyard prove insufficient."

Mon Jan 27, 2020 9:28 pm

Yugiri

"Ooo"

Eliciting a sound of curiousity as they made their way and he explained his style. Yugiri knew a few eastern ones and their philosophies but she had to wonder what the western people were like with it. Regardless while she thought she gave the odd bow and smile to the people that acknowledged her on his shoulder.

Once they arrived at their destination she dropped down and looked around at the scene. Was pretty nice and open with everything one would need for training if they weren't picky about it. She listened to him explain she could exert herself as she pleased here and walked up to a space of rock before touching it gently and gave it a punch, empowering it with her Hakuda before swiping her hand across the stone and gouging out a large hole a few times larger than she was.

It felt strange to be able to not hold back and she turned to Erchanhardt with a small blush.

"Sorry.. It's been a while since I got to not hold back anything."

END POST | FLASH BLOSSOM WITHER

Mon Jan 27, 2020 9:57 pm

Erchanhardt

Artist: Wagner - Song: Lohengrinn Overture

"Oh, you need not apologize. I, too, rarely have a chance to use my fullest strength."

Taking a deep breath to center himself, Erchanhardt looked off in the general distance of the town. They were far enough away that it would not be too terrible a thing if he gave her a proper demonstration, and the birds had already flown south for the winter. He would not disturb them either, thankfully.

With a hop into the quarry, the man looked at one of the least-cut walls, and tensed his muscles carefully. He threw a singlular forward punch, a shockwave booming through the quarry, and the whole of the ground shook with the force. After a moment, the entirety of the wall simply crumbled, the whole of the quarry having easily been extended another 30 meters as rock collapsed in upon itself. Exhaling carefully, he then turned once more to look at Yugiri.

"I must be frank with you, Yugiri. The training I offer is quite grueling. My style is built upon this philosophy, but as such, it demands understanding of it. It demands a mastery of self which few have the force of will to achieve. It has broken many a student, left them emotionally desolate. I will not impose this upon you if you do not wish it."

Glancing upward at the sky very briefly, the man thought about his wife, his daughter. The students he had once taught. He brushed those memories away, but continued to watch the sky.

"I would ask that you do not spare me any mercy in this training, Yugiri. In turn, if you wish to learn from me, I will teach you from the depths of my heart. If you decline, you will not hurt my feelings. I would still very much wish to learn from you, regardless."

Mon Jan 27, 2020 11:00 pm

Yugiri

Hmm? What was this?

Yugiri watched Erchanhardt approach the side of the quarry, tilting her head to get an idea of his intentions. Was he going to demonstrate? By the looks of it yes, and once she saw him punch the wall it shattered. In no small amount either. The space had become drastically bigger.

"Whoa... You're really strong."

When he explained about training her she looked a bit thoughtful. Closing her eyes before nodding and looking at him with a small smile.

"Sure and don't worry, you seem stronger than me anyway and I'll teach you some steps and how to move properly, true stepping."

END POST | FLASH BLOSSOM WITHER

Mon Jan 27, 2020 11:17 pm

Erchanhardt

Artist: Wagner - Song: Lohengrinn Overture

"Years of practice, and many generations of breeding by my forefathers."

Erchanhardt once more made his way to Yugiri, removing the immense uwagi and leaving him only in his hakama. He suspected that such a thing would be completely superfluous in his training.

"Well, shall we begin? I will gladly assist in establishing whatever reference points will be necessary in order to teach me these arts of stepping."

Tue Jan 28, 2020 5:52 am

Yugiri

She watched him drop his uwagi, it didn't take an expert for Yugiri to figure out what this meant. He was getting serious, so she did too. Except she didn't really have anything she could've taken off that emphasised it in a really cool way like he did. She'd correct that later but for now? She just stood up a bit straighter and fold her arms under her chest.

"Mhm. Well we need squares, one moment."

With a gentle tap of her toes against the ground like it was a test, Yugiri established a foothold and launched herself along her intended course. First taking the chalk and then finding a reasonably flat area before she drew various squares and spots on it.

"Alright. Look here, it's important y'see. You gotta work on your balance, although you have really good balance already but it's also finesse in the step you know? The most basic principle is taking as few steps as possible, like this."

Standing in the closest square Yugiri gently stepped behind her into another one before stepping back into the start point and pushing off to step further back, over the first square and into one a little further behind it.

"This exercise is kinda mainly used for the actual... flashing part of the step though, since you kinda end up leaping at super high speeds as far as you can go."

END POST | FLASH BLOSSOM WITHER

Tue Jan 28, 2020 6:22 am

Erchanhardt

Artist: Wagner - Song: Lohengrinn Overture

"Mm, I see."

Erchanhardt moved to replicate Yugiri's movements, first simply getting a feeling for the actual action itself. He did not launch himself one way or the other, simply feeling how the flow of it worked through each of his muscles. Only after he had gone through the motions of it several times did he finally step back, then forward as he believed instinctively was correct.

Of course, it was not correct, and he could tell almost immediately, given the frown of disapproval he made. He suspected this may not be something one simply learned by watching, but even so, he did make several more attempts, and while he was certainly marginally faster than a typical human might have hoped to be, at the end of the day, his technique was a far cry from a genuine flash step.

"I feel as though perhaps I am missing something rather crucial. Is there a particularity to the leap in itself? Or is this simply an application of one's leg that I am failing to grasp?"

They were entirely genuine questions on his end, not seeming defeated or out of any frustration. He was, after all, the student in this situation. A good student asked questions, that their teacher was not required to assume what they did or did not understand.

Tue Jan 28, 2020 6:59 am

Yugiri

"Hmm? I didn't think you'd try to pull off a genuine flash step, I thought it was just the basics and fundamentals. Typically one will use their spiritual energy, flowing it into their legs and creating a foothold. Launching themselves from it at speeds difficult to perceive by people."

If it was to energy then she would need to pull out some visuals, some energy manipulation but given the number he did one that wall she was quite sure he must have it in some manner. So she went quiet before she sat down and stretched out her legs.

"Try and imagine... a point, the point you want to go to. Like that square over there."

She indicated one of the further away squares.

"Centre yourself and then imagine something pushing you forward as you step. Take as many steps as you need though since its your first time, rather than trying anything fancy like doing it in one bound."

END POST | FLASH BLOSSOM WITHER

Tue Jan 28, 2020 6:48 pm

Erchanhardt

Artist: Wagner - Song: Lohengrinn Overture

Erchanhardt considered that for a moment or two, then nodded in understanding. Spiritual energy was something he had little familiarity with. None at all, in fact.

"I am afraid that the usage of one's energy in such a way is not something with which I am familiar. Still, I believe I understand the principle. If it is a matter of using one's energy to push oneself forward, I see no reason I could not, at least in theory, replicate that principle with my body."

He paused for a second then.

"Though, I suppose, that would simply return to the fundamentals of it, rather than such advanced techniques as yours. My apologies, Yugiri. I have gotten more than a touch ahead of myself."

Giving her a rather genuine bow of apology, Erchanhardt took a moment to recenter himself, the Eternal Return placing him into a starting position in far less than a fraction of a second. Hm... Focusing on the positioning itself, making sure to heed Yugiri's advice, Erchanhardt indeed lept forward, focusing not only on the point he was moving toward, but in the form of each step, and in the earth beneath his feet.

It, certainly, required more than a single step. Given his own lack of training, it in fact required roughly 4, and while his sheer strength kept his speed from faltering anywhere near mere human levels, he was unfathomably far from Yugiri's own velocity.

"Mm... I think I am beginning to understand."

Sat Feb 01, 2020 12:17 am

Yugiri

Hmm. She brought her arms up to her chest, watching the scene of Erchanhardt's apology and nodding in acceptance. Once he started it though Yugiri was... pretty impressed. It was like Chidori's success, it was minor, something even a child shinigami with training could do to perform a shunpo but when you considered the actual feat itself for someone who just started. It was well done.

"You are. All you can really do beyond that is practice. Aside from dashing to different points it becomes more tricky trying to use it to dance around an opponent at high speeds but you did good for one that was among your first attempts."

END POST | FLASH BLOSSOM WITHER