Shadow Fighting (open)

[Rikki Cross]

{TAG} Time: 9AM, Clothing, Black Sports Bra and White Sweat Pants with no shoes or socks


Rikki might have been far from home but she promised herself not to break routine as much as possible, she didn’t want to get soft. She would spend her free time working out and studying during the school year but sense school wasn’t in session exorcize was her priority. She had her Gym back, filled with a water bottle, extra cloths, and her favorite lunch, cold pizza. She rationalized the pizza because with as much as she worked out she could eat a whole pizza and not gain anything. Today’s activities would consist of 150 sit ups, 100 pushups of various kinds, 25 clappers, 25 one arms for each arm, and 25 diamonds, and that was just the warm up. Next was weight lifting, then finishing with Shadow Fighting, she would start with 10 techniques, the work her way up by fives until she could complete 100 techniques of her martial arts form Okinawa Go Ju Ryu Karate, translating into Japanese as Hard, Soft Style. The art was used in Okinawa’s battle with the invading Japanese to kill samurai and other armed opponents without the use of weapons, the art is highly effective to say the least and Rikki lived and breathed Go Ju Ryu.

Rikki pushed open the door to the gym and spotted punching bags, perfect for practicing kicks and strikes, next were the weights and a nice open expanse of floor. Rikki went to the open mat and got down on the ground to start her warm up, the sit ups were the easy part, the challenge were the pushups. 25 clapping pushups, down to the ground then jumping with the arms high enough to get in a good clap then down again, she wasn’t sweating by the time the one arms were up, spreading her feet she placed the arm in front of her and starting pushing, after both arms were out of the way she was starting to seat a bit and her arms starting to burn. Finally were the diamonds but she wasn’t quite as warmed up as she wanted so Rikki was going to do her father’s creation the drinking pushup. Her father Xander was a purest when it came to teaching his daughter martial arts and drinking while on the mat was strictly prohibited, a habit Rikki was trying to break her of, she had become dehydrated on several occasion and had to drink a few bottles of water after each workout.

Rikki started with her body with her rear high in the air her arms in a standard pushup position and bringing her head down first then puling her head up and her butt down she worked the core muscles as well as her back and arms, 25 of these were a real challenge and Rikki had certainly worked up a sweat by the time she was done, the sports bra showing the sweat beading along her body, the sweat pants starting to cling to her legs. That done she would start in the weights, she maxed out fast, her arms nice and burning, she could feel the muscles tearing and re knitting giving birth to new muscle, finally she was ready for Bag work, having given up the idea of Shadow Fighting if she had a perfectly good bag to hit. Punch, punch, a spin and a knife hand throat strike followed up by a double bear claw, rib breaker, in a deep stance, her legs shoulder width apart, one leg far back the other in front bent low enough so she couldn’t see her foot. This stance ensured resistance to any pushing coming from the front. Rikki gave an open hand head block to an imaginary strike and then shooting up from her stance gave a torso crushing kick to the bag the whole thing swinging on its chain. Rikki continued with more and more complicated and deadly moves and artful blocks, eventually doing Heart stoppers and blocks meant to break a punching arm. This went on for a good hour before anyone came into the gym

[Sitara Neela Asman]

~outfit~
Tara wasn't a gym regular. This was obvious by her chosen clothing (a blue tank top and her favorite black and white plaid pair of pajama pants, since she didn't have any real gym shorts). At least she had proper sneakers, but she was more used to going on walks with them than going to the gym with them. Another way that Tara being not a gym regular was obvious was by the wide-eyed look on her face. It seemed that the place had only gotten bigger and more overrun with equipment since the last time she stepped foot in here a year ago. From weights to exercise balls (that looked funner to play with than to exercise on) to clunky equipment that looked like it would eat you up, Tara had no idea where to begin. So she decided to try out the exercise bike.

It was way too early to be exercising, Tara thought to herself, but it wasn't like she could go back to bed. The loud noises of the garbage truck that morning had woke her up, and once she was up, going back to sleep was nearly impossible. 'I really need to get ear plugs or something for when I sleep' she thought to herself. Since she had nothing to do until noon, Tara had figured that she should probably check out the gym.

Initially Tara wasn't even sure if the gym would be open so early. Come to think of it, it might even be open twenty four seven. Tara never paid attention to these things. Upon finding out that it was open (and good thing too, for she had gotten ready and if it hadn't been, her chances of every going to the gym this month would go down significantly) she assumed there would be nobody else here.

She was almost right.

Inside there was a single girl, one she recognized as being in her year but not in her major. The girl seemed to be more of the wake up early and exercise every day type, a contrast to Tara, who rarely did either or those things. Tara pedalled slowly on the exercise bike as she watched the girl go through push ups, weights, and then started punching the punching bag. Tara wondered if the girl knew kickboxing. Tara had always wanted to learn kickboxing, but could never find any classes anywhere that she could take.

[Rikki Cross]

The moves only got deadlier from here on, she abandoned the bag and started just executing the motions in the middle of the matt, a neck break executed by grabbing the front and back of someone’s pants, one arm going between the persons legs while in a deep horse riding stance and then grabbing the belt and lifting up and bringing the head and neck down on the ground, it was a very complicated move and was meant to drop the opponent on his head to break the neck. She finished her shadow fighting and continued to her favorite Kata, a dance like set of moves from which all the singular moves came from.

She started with her hands left cupping right, called Yoi, she looked straight forward and bowed and said with authority in her voice “Saifa Kata!” Rikki started going into the deep stance shoulder witch apart one leg forward one back, her right fist chambered the left hand cupping the fist, as if to hide it, then she brought her feet together making a “sai” sound on the matt, at the same time bringing the fist around her body still cupping with the left hand turning the fist palm side down. Then she started to tip backwards like a cut tree then bringing her feet out quickly in a horse stance making a “fa!” sound with her feet against the matt. Rikki loved the first part because if it was done right the matt said the name of the kata the slip and slide of feet on the matt making it say “saifa”. As she sank into her horse stance she did a back fist with an assisting block, and then repeated two more times.

After the third time she would make a fluid motion bringing her feet shoulder width apart even with each other bent at the knees, then as if Rikki’s foot was attacked to her hand by an invisible string she made a block with the left hand and then kicked out with the opposite foot in a straight kick. Then in the same motion mirrored the first move immediately afterward the pulled her left leg back into a deep stance blocking with both hands and then striking out with a double bear claw strike to the ribs then brining a hammer fist down against her flat hand to blow out a knee. Rikki took her right hand and blocked off the left hand then whipped the Dragon’s tail spinning and ending on the opposite foot of her deep stance then striking out in another double bear claw strike and another knee breaker.

Rikki stood in a tall stance her feet shoulder width apart and brought her foot down hard at the same time as she made a shoulder or skull crushing hammer strike then grabbed with the hammering hand and pulled into a gruesome uppercut, she switched sides and mirrored herself, then made her finishing flourish, an open handed chest block then a chest punch, then another open handed chest block. Keeping the blocking hand in the same position she stepped around it then made a motion of pulling a bum rushing man’s head into a neck brake then pushing him off that had about a dozen other applications, she finished bringing her feet together hands in Yoi then to her sides she bowed and whipped her forehead of sweat. She was ready to take a good long drink of water and take a look around the gym. She noticed a dark haired, Latino girl watching her. Rikki wondered how long she had been watching and if she witnessed her kata or not.

[Sitara Neela Asman]

~outfit~
Tara had been listening to music as she pedalled on the stationary bike. Right now, it was Dance Commander by Electric Six. Not really the best song for a stationary bike, but still a song that got you energized enough to want to move in some way or another. Usually, by dancing (which was really no surprise when one considered what the name of the song was in the first place).

Tara watched the girl fight her imaginary opponent as the moves got more and more intense. It wasn't a martial art she was familiar with (and by familiar with I mean it wasn't a martial art that any Tekken character Tara knew practiced), although it was dance like like Capoeira, the stance was much more still and far less fluid. Capoeira was a dance one could use to defend themself, where as this seemed to be a martial art that one could dance. Watching how intense the fighting became (and feeling quite sorry for the girls' opponent, both the imaginary one right now and whoever she'd need to fight in the future), Tara began to wonder if the girl was a martial arts major.

Noticing she had begun to pedal slower as she watched the girl fight, Tara began to pedal faster. The music began to change to something much faster... it was Invaders Must Die by The Prodigy, a much more electronic song with thumping beats and few lyrics, other than the title of the song repeated multiple times. She turned up the resistance a bit... after all, had she not come here to work out instead of to watch others work out like she knew many girls came here for?

She picked up the blue hand towel that she had hung over the handlebar and used it to dab her face, with had grown sweaty. She took a sip from her water bottle, which sat in the pocket on the stationary bike that wasn't holding her iPod, but didn't stop pedalling, or even slow down, as she did these things. The girl stopped fighting her imaginary opponent, giving him or her a rest as she rested herself. Tara noticed the girl look over at her. They were now aware of each others' presence. Tara wondered if the girl had noticed her before, when she was fighting, or maybe even when she first entered, or if she had been in her own world of fighting until now.


(ooc: by the way, Tara is Indian, not Latino. ^^)

[Rikki Cross]

Rikki could have gone back to her dorm, or maybe decided to continue Kata but she needed friends, allies at the least so maybe she should try and make friends with the girl, now that she got a second look she looked more Indian that Hispanic, she felt stupid for making the error. Rikki grabbed her water and her towel, a black one with skulls and brass knuckles, dice and $100 bills all over it and she trooped over to the girl on the exercise bike to introduce herself. Rikki almost tripped over a misplaced weight but gracefully regained her balance, must be nerves she thought. Rikki gingerly stepped over the next dumbbell to get to the girl.

Rikki hopped up onto the bike next to the girl and tried to smile as she introduced herself, her smile more a twist of lips that an actual grin. “I’m Rikki, Spotted Hyena and Law Enforcement Major. I’m not really good with making friends.” Rikki keyed in her miles and started peddling. Hopefully this girl wasn’t as mean as the little brat she met in the cafeteria. Rikki looked out the window to see a girl going towards some woods, hopefully she wouldn’t get wet, the sky was starting to look rather dark. If Rikki wasn’t on a tropical island she would swear a twister was coming.

Rikki looked back to the Indian girl who was yet to introduce herself; Rikki hoped she had heard her. Rikki started peddling, she had already worked up one heck of a sweat, but she needed to get that familiar burn that meant her muscles were tearing and forming new muscle. Rikki peddled at a steady pace, unlike the girl who looked to be peddling for all she was worth. Rikki focused on her peddling until the girl talked to her, it was a little weird trying to socialize with someone who wasn’t her parents, she never had trouble talking to her mom or dad; Rikki practically idolized them.

Her father was so strong and smart and her mother so talented not only with housework but with anything she attempted. Rikki wanted or be just like them, a Marine like her father and a talented and brave person like her mother and her father. Rikki’s mom was a Weapons designer for a company who supplied new weapons to the US Military. Rikki even got to play with a few of the less secretive weapons, so far her favorite was the AA12 Full Auto Shot Gun. She had talked ot her mother last night and she had promised Rikki that if she did well in her studies, when she graduated she would take her to the shooting range with her favorite gun. Rikki smiled at the idea of blowing apart targets with HE rounds. Rikki’s mind was wandering she looked over to the Indian girl and waited for a response.

[Sitara Neela Asman]

~outfit~
Tara noted the girl walking over towards her thinking "oh god oh god I hope she's not going to interrogate her about me watching her practice". But the girl just sat down on the bike next to hers... and smiled. And then proceeded to introduce herself.

Now there were many things about this girl that made Tara find her slightly intimidating at first. For one, her towel had skulls, brass knuckles, and hundred dollar bills on it. Which, for some reason, made Tara immediately think of the movie Million Dollar Baby for some unknown reason. Tara's towel was... blue. And that was it. No pattern, no nothing. Which was odd, since most of Tara's shirts and socks and all had patterns and stuff on them, but her towels did not. Huh.

Another thing was the way this girl fought and exercised. She was tough, there was no doubt about that, and Tara really hoped the girl wouldn't find her annoying or something. This was not a girl you wanted pitted against you, Tara thought. Which worked because as she had mentioned, she was a Law Enforcement major. She was going to make a really good police officer someday, Tara could already tell.

"I'm Sitara... or Tara..." she introduced herself between breaths. "Golden-capped... flying fox... er, fruit bat... and Psychology major." She turned down the resistance and started pedaling more slowly and steadily. If she wasn't careful, she was going to be seriously aching in the morning. Which wasn't something she really wanted... Tara had a tendency to not exercise, then exercise a lot, and her muscles would ache for up to three days after that. She didn't want that to happen now. Maybe she should come to the gym more regularly. Maybe if she had someone to work out with, she would actually do it instead of telling herself she should. Maybe, Rikki wouldn't mind working out with Tara from time to time.

Lets not get ahead of ourself Tara, she thought to herself. First step is to make conversation. But about what? She could hardly pull something like 'come here often?' without sounding cheesy, and then Rikki would hate her for sure. Besides, Rikki definitely looked like the type of girl who would go to the gym often, while Tara did not, so that conversation would end there. Suddenly, Tara spoke.

"What was that kickboxing type thing you were doing earlier?" she asked Rikki.

[Rikki Cross]

Rikki laughed at the word Kickboxing “Girl I’ve made Kick boxers beg for mercy. If you have ever seen the original Karate Kid, it’s the same style of Martial Arts they use there. Okinawa Goju Ryu Karate, one of the most sadistic and brutally efficient forms of Martial Arts known to man.” Rikki had a smile on her face while she described her form of combat. “The Okinawans used it on the invading Japanese to kill armed opponents without weapons of their own.” Rikki could only imagine taking on a Samurai without any form of weapon other than her own body, how amazing that must feel.

Rikki loved the feel of flesh and bone giving under her expert strikes, the feeling compared to no other rush in the world. Rikki looked down at her bike; she was already almost half a mile in. she turned up the resistance to get a better burn. “Do you exercise often? I try and get in the gym as often as possible.” Rikki wasn’t sure what she was doing, she didn’t really know how to make friends at all. This wasn’t something your parents could teach you.

“Listen I’m not exactly good at making friends so if I seem a little awkward I’m sorry” Rikki kept a steady pace, peddling against the pressure of the pedals. She didn’t really have anything in common with this girl but this could just be practice to make a friend later if she screwed this up. Rikki looked out and the oncoming storm seemed to have picked up the pace the clouds were dark and rain started to slap against the Gym windows. Rikki had never been in a hurricane before hopefully it wasn’t too bad that she would need to get to higher ground. “Looks like there is a storm brewing out there huh?”

Rikki was just a little worried, the animal part of her told her something was up, something really big was going to happen. If Rikki was smart she would have gone to the girl’s dorm and to her room. As it was the wind was picking up and the rain was only getting harder. Rikki turned to Sitara “I think we should get some place safe, this storm is shaping up to be a bad one.” Rikki slowed down on her bike and trees started to bend and the rain slapped against the windows, then the hail started.

[Sitara Neela Asman]

~outfit~
Tara's mouth formed a small o as she listened to Rikki speak about Okinawa Goju Ryu Karate. It sounded amazing, but at the same time, if it was so tough (and well known enough to be in The Karate Kid) then why didn't Tekken have a character who did it? Karate characters in Tekken did general Karate, not a specific kind. Come to think of it, Tara hadn't even been aware that there were multiple types of Karate.

Although Tara tried not to speak when Rikki was speaking, she couldn't help but let slip a "Wow..." at what Rikki said about using Karate to defeat armed opponents. "Yeah I don't know much about different fighting styles... I mean, most of what I know comes from Tekken." She giggled, knowing such a comment was absurd in comparison to Rikki, who could actually DO martial arts and didn't just press lots of buttons on a tiny black controller to control a pixellated human (or half jaguar like King, kangeroo like Roger, or robot like Yoshimitsu) who could do moves more impressive than Tara could dream of doing.

Rikki then brought up the topic of how often they exercised, one Tara partly hoped wouldn't come up, but knew probably would. "Not really. I usually just go for a walk or bike ride." she said. "I've been trying to get better about exercise though, so I've started coming here more often." she said. She hoped Rikki wouldn't think less of her because she wasn't as active. Tara wanted to be active... she really did. She wanted to learn some sort of martial art, to be fit, to not have to worry about getting diabetes or something later in life...

"It's alright." Tara said when Rikki apologized for being awkward. "No need to apologize. Hell, I'm social AND awkward. How's that for an odd combination?" she said. "Sometimes I don't know how I manage to talk to people at all. I mean I'm always either stumbling over my words, saying 'like' and 'umm' too much, or just rambling on and on, creating these ridiculous run on sentences that I don't know where to stop..." she clapped a hand over her mouth. "Oops."

Rikki mentioned the storm, something Tara had barely noticed until now. "Yeah... it's weird... thought it was gonna be sunny today." Initially she shrugged the thought off, but then it became visibly worse. She started slowing down on her bike. Rikki mentioned going elsewhere and Tara agreed. "Yeah sounds good." She tried to remember what her elementary school teachers told her that they should do if they were in a bad storm. Stay inside of course. Inside walls? Did she need to duck under a table? Doorways? Or was she confusing this with an earthquake?