Take Two

Posted on Thu May 3rd, 2018 @ 10:32pm by Gunnery Sergeant Ami Rori & Lieutenant JG Siobahn Fallon

Mission: https://wellington.pegasusfleet.site/index.php/sim/missions/id/4
Location: Morning After 'Off Towards Cardassian Space'

To say she was tired was something of an understatement, but having made a commitment, Siobahn dragged herself out of bed. Two very strong coffee's and a cold shower later, she found herself face to face with Ami, offering a grin. "Well, I'm here!" she exclaimed. "Let's get this show on the road before the coffee buzz starts to wear off!"

"Stretched? Slept enough? Played the crossword puzzle in the morning Galactic Courier?" Ami referred to the daily news-zine of the Federation and got a look in return, "Never doubt the ability for a puzzle like that to make your mind more agile in the morning. The answer to Six Down is Persephone, by the way, it really was a rather obscure mission she was lost on, would you believe that there was a small black hole feeding off the binary stars in their center? Persephone never did realize what happened." The trill shook her head at the irrelevancy, "But you're nice and full of energy, yes?"

"I've had two double strength espresso's, does that count?" Siobahn replied with a grin. "I may not have slept but I definitely have a great buzz going!" She laughed as she pulled her long hair back and secured it over her shoulder with a hair elastic.

"Then you won't mind!" Ami gave a slight grin, "Because we're not going with the second lesson I originally planned for, which admittedly, with espresso, you would have a hard time standing still for more than one or two seconds in any case. What do you remember from your mandatory self-defense class? As in, how to attack someone?"

“Uh...” Siobahn hesitated momentarily. “The instructor smelled like whiskey sours and manky cigars and he didn’t like me much? I pretty much failed because I don’t like the idea of attacking others.”

"Ahhh, so you wouldn't really be able to attack me, would you?" Ami asked.

Siobahn looked genuinely taken aback at the question. “But why would I want to?” She asked. She shook her head slightly. “I’ve seen you fight, you’d kick my ass before I could blink!”

"A learning experience." Ami said solemnly, "To learn to defend, you need to learn how attacks happen and to learn how to attack? Well, trial and experience mostly, but in conjunction with defense. Make them attack and commit, then use their move against them." She nodded slightly, "And it's not about getting your ass kicked, those are just learning experiences. But, who does the best fighter in the galaxy fear? Can you answer that?"

“No one? Everyone?” Siobahn shrugged slightly. “You said fear was a strength to draw from. If fear is a strength then wouldn’t even the strongest fighters would fear everyone and no one?”

"Damn..." Ami shook her head, "I worded it wrong and you called me out on it.. All right, let's see... Who is the best fighter most CONCERNED with fighting?" The trill laughed, but didn't wait for another response, "The worst fighter, because you never know what she's going to do!"

“I guess that makes sense,” Siobahn replied quietly. “But then how do you define the worst fighter? Worst by skill set or worst by mental insanity?”

"Does it matter?" Ami asked in return, "Skill set and mental set are both parts of the act. I've seen a technically brilliant fighter lose to an average one that has their head together. Conversely, I've seen a mentally brilliant one lose out of complacency and inaction."

Siobahn shrugged. "I'm a doctor, I don't understand tactical skills, but I understand psychology, surprisingly well actually... but I'm gonna shut up about that now," she said with a grin. "So fear the worst fighter, got it."

Ami laughed, "No, no, no, YOU don't fear the worst fighter." She bounced on the balls of her feet, "That's my job. After all, you would probably qualify for that position, wouldn't you?"

"Hey! That really isn't..." Siobahn started to protest, then stopped and shrugged slightly. "Well, probably," she replied with a laugh. "I'm definitely much more a 'turn tail and run' kind of girl, if I had to fight I wouldn't have a clue what I was doing, so yeah..."

"Bingo." Ami nodded, "But here's another question for you... Do you dance? Perhaps waltz?"

“Actually, I do! I can waltz, I can even tango and salsa! I also have 12 years of classical ballet training and even a few years of acro jazz!” Siobahn laughed. “It was supposed to teach me strength, discipline and dedication.”

"And can actually be used as a basis for learning the art of Tse'durei, one of the 'traditional' Trill combat styles, unlike the one I primarily practice. So yes, you're going to be overall learning two different styles, completely different styles. But it might make sense after a while. So.. When ever you're ready, feel free to throw a punch at me, doesn't have to be aimed to hit, but just anything."

Siobahn shook her head ever so slightly. Surely this was insanity! It had to be! If any other crew member with a known dislike for violence, like her, was to take a swing at anyone she knew could fight like Ami, Siobahn would have likely declared them unfit for duty pending full mental evaluation! She closed her fists at her side, clenching them momentarily before releasing, flexing her fingers as she just watched Ami in silence for the briefest of moments before she clenched her fist again, and swung, aiming squarely at Ami's nose.

Ami smiled and rather than her 'traditional' move, or micro-move as it were, to avoid it, reached out a hand and intercepted the fist, re-adjusting it's flight to pass her, then added some force, bringing Siobahn off balance and 'falling' towards her. She used her right hand to support the younger woman at the waist and to add a spin while pushing her off into a twirl. The grip on the fist, loosened briefly before tightening again to reduce the spin and bring Siobahn back on balance with a little now backwards motion, facing Ami again. "It's a dance more than a fight."

As she started to loose her balance, Siobahn felt a prickle of fear and unease which started to dissipate as soon as she was back on steady feet. "If you wanted to lead, you should have just said so," she quipped, forcing a smile to hide her unease. Taking a step back, she shifted her body weight so she had a firmer balance, turning her back foot out into first position. "I can see how dance can be used for defence," she said quietly, "But I don't really see how it can be used to facilitate an attack."

"No?" Ami asked, curiously, "Let's try this in reverse." She waited until Siobahn had set herself, then, slower than her norm, threw the same strike, allowing Siobahn to passably add the force to throw her off balance, to her left side, then twisted her own right hand to grab onto the younger woman's hand in a deceptively gentle grip and spinning gracefully with her right leg as a counterbalance and tapping Siobahn's knee very gently with it before retracting it without upending her, then continuing the spin under and behind the woman and placed a hand behind her neck, again gently before stopping. "Can't facilitate an attack?"

Siobahn's eyes widened slightly. "That makes a little more sense now," she replied as she played the move over again in her mind before carefully mimicking the movements that Ami had shown her. "Okay, I see how it can be effective...."

"Just like in dancing, balance is very important. Leading or following is less important than the dance itself, but leading is more of the attack, following is the defensive. I'm more of the follower than the leader, just from my own 'professional' training." Ami smiled, "What about you? And do you think this particular style strikes your fancy more?"

"I think my preference is simply for defence, but either way, this makes more sense to me, it's movement I understand, and I can see how it can easily be used, at the very least to buy time to either run away or for help to arrive." Siobahn laughed. "Who'da thought all those years of dance would actually account for something!"

"Following it is." Ami grinned, "So, let's work on your balance, why don't we? Show me what you can do, ma'am, not just staying still, but I want to see how well you stand in various positions that are difficult to maintain, because once you master the hard ones, the rest are cake. And then we'll add balance in motion."

"Balance is actually something I *can* do!" Siobahn replied with a laugh. "What do you want to see?"

"Anything, everything." Ami crossed her arms and leaned back against... Nothing. She stayed fully upright though, "Stand on a foot, spin in place, doesn't matter, but show me your balance."

Taking a few steps back, Siobahn scuffed her boot across the deck, noting the traction between her boot and the floor. It wasn't the greatest, but she had managed with worse. With clearly practised movements, she extended her right arm forward, crooked ever so slightly, her left straight out to the side and elevated up into full pointe on her left boot, bending her right leg so her boot rested half an inch from her leg, her gaze settled squarely on Ami as she held her balance perfectly for a solid minute or two before extending her right leg and bringing her boot sharply back to her knee, launching into a perfect pirouette, using leg extensions to increase her momentum, completing each turn by bringing her steady gaze straight back to Ami again. After a dozen turns she stopped, bringing herself back to standing on full pointe, facing Ami and smiling. "Not terrible, there is a bit more traction with these boots and the floor than I'm used to, but not too terrible."

"But being en pointe in boots is actually easier, despite the inability to arch the foot as normal." Ami pointed out, "Partly due to that traction. It still is bad for the ankle and foot, though, due to that same rigidity, but that's not the point." She smiled a half smile, "And still impressive, except for that it would be easy as all get out to knock you over while you're looking silly doing that in a fight! Perhaps in a situational bit, but only briefly..." She mused, "The pirouette would definitely come in handy if someone tried to take that one foot out, though, give you something to balance off onto."

"You told me to spin, you didn't tell me to defend," Siobahn replied pointedly. "I am not concerned about my ability to balance, I can most definitely hold my own with that."

"I said anything and everything!" Ami corrected, "Because the next step is going to be to hold your balance, to keep your feet, your butt off the floor by any means necessary. It'll start with just gentle nudges, attempts to off-balance you, then continue to more and more determined. Remember: By any means necessary. Doesn't mean you have to be standing still." The meaning behind Ami's eyes and words was that THAT was the point of the whole exercise.

Siobahn held her head up high, moving her feet and steeling herself as she stared back at Ami. If she could maintain an arabesque with Madame Dupont poking and whacking her with a yard stick, she was pretty sure she could handle at least a good part of what Ami threw at her. "Okay," she replied quietly. "Bring it on."

Ami began to slowly circle the younger woman, doing exactly what she had said, pushing in certain places, certain angles and strengths, watching how Siobahn moved to keep her balance, then with a very sudden move both used a toe to the inside of her left knee, collapsing it and a push to the back of her right shoulder at a medium strength, to see the response.

The pressure behind her knee was something that was easily countered, pulling her left foot into first position and reinforcing her lower body by locking her hips onto place. She felt the push on her shoulder and opted to go with the movement instead of trying to fight it, dropping her shoulder and leaning forward, leaving her in control of her movements and allowing her to turn easily on her right foot, moving her feet into an open fourth position and standing back up, flicking her braid back over her shoulder as she smiled at Ami.

Ami smiled back as she used that little motion of the braid and a firm push on both shoulders before the momentum had been fully abated, stepping in to place one foot right behind the heel of still in momentum-flux right foot, then prepared to reach out to catch Siobahn should she fall over backwards.

With her right foot blocked and not able to move back any more and the push on her shoulders, Siobahn faltered for fraction of a second before sliding her left foot backward, bending her right knee, giving her the support she needed to again go with the movement of her upper body, leaning back and extending her left arm to provide a counter point for balance. Her movement was fluid as she was instantly back on her feet again, once more pushing down through her core to strengthen her balance again, her cheeks flushing slightly as she exhaled slowly.

"Not bad, not bad." Ami admitted, straightening up face to face with Siobahn, "You do definitely have some good balance." She then without any sort of notice or warning, swung a toe out and swept towards Siobahn's legs, an obvious attempt to take them out.

The final move almost took Siobahn by surprise as she felt Ami's foot hook the back of her ankle, though with some rather awkward and comical fumbling and flailing she managed to avoid falling completely on her bottom. "Damn," she cursed, as she regained her balance before laughing. "I really should have expected that."

Ami couldn't help but laugh herself, "Always, always. But, very good at not falling, I really am impressed, given your lack of actual hand to hand knowledge."

Siobahn shrugged slightly and smiled. "My ballet teacher was a task master. She delighted in finding new ways to use her yard stick to try and unbalance us. We had to think quick."

"And think quick you do!" Ami smiled slightly, "Let's see... What to do next, what to do next?"

With a slight shrug, Siobahn took a step back and grabbed the bottom of her braid, twisting it around her fingers. “What ever you suggest, you’re in charge here.”

"Hmm..." Ami debated slightly, "One foot, other curled up underneath you." She demonstrated the one legged stand, "Arms crossed, eyes closed, knee bent." She waited until Siobahn had assumed that position, "Now... Just stay like that."

Doing as she was told, Siobahn folded her arms across her chest and closed her eyes, exhaling slowly as she listened to her surroundings. Not knowing what it was that Ami was up to, and not being able to actually see her surroundings left her feeling increasingly vulnerable and while she trusted that Ami wouldn't actually be doing anything to hurt her, knowing she was likely to end up on her bottom at any moment was not an enjoyable feeling.

Ami knew that just holding this position was rather difficult, especially with no visual cues to keep the inner ear from self-adjusting and the single foot making the balance more precarious. Adding in the arms close in to the body and that took away the counter-balancing capability of weight adjustment. She paced quietly around the younger woman, then noticed the tremor that indicated a start of a loss of balance. As the teeter began, she very gently helped Siobahn back upright so she didn't have to adjust, "You're doing good, really good."

The loss of balance did nothing to ease Siobahn's frustration. Grimacing as she felt herself being corrected, she exhaled slowly, forcing her body to relax more. The more tension she held onto the harder it was going to be to maintain her position and she was determined she would succeed. Extending her arms long enough to regain her balance, she slowly crossed them again, keeping her eyes closed as she focused on breathing and relaxation rather than rigidly maintaining her position.

"If it helps, this one is particularly difficult for me for a long period of time as well." Ami said quietly.

Siobahn didn't reply straight away, instead drawing in another slow breath, holding it for a moment before exhaling slowly. "I'm not a quitter," she finally replied quietly. Keeping her body relaxed was definitely making it easier, it was not as exhausting or as painful when she relaxed, but even despite her best intentions she could already feel herself teetering again.

Before she got to the point of teetering over, "And both feet on the ground, center yourself." Ami stated, "I know you aren't a quitter."

With both feet back on the ground and her eyes open, Siobahn laughed. "Oh thank goodness! I definitely feel better with two feet back on the ground!"

Ami patted her on the shoulder, "I always do, that is one of the hardest things to just stay doing." A warm smile, "And I think that's basically going to end the lesson for the day. You're doing good, kiddo, really good, overall."

"Awwww shucks," Siobahn replied with a grin, reaching up and grabbing her braid, twirling the end of it around her fingers. "But seriously, this part is easy, it doesn't require me actually hurtin' another person. If we're done though, I'm gonna go grab a coffee before I head to sickbay. I can't stand the taste, but it definitely helps me stay awake!" she said with a laugh.

"Whatever I teach you is never about hurting someone else, Siobahn, it's all about keeping someone else from hurting you." Ami nodded, "And then getting them to go away!"

"Regardless of intent, someone gets hurt," Siobahn replied with a shrug. "I don't know, it's just something that has never sat well with me. When I was little I kicked my brother in the face and broke his nose. I cried more than he did." She grinned at the memory. "It was an accident but he never took my halloween candy again."

"Well, we only do what you're comfortable with. If you ever think about it and change your mind? We'll look at what we can do to facilitate you, all right?" Ami temporized.

"I can definitely work with that," Siobahn replied with a smile. "Thanks Ami."

OFF:

Ensign Siobahn Fallon
Medical Officer
USS Wellington

Gunnery Sergeant Ami Rori
Marine
USS Wellington