Day 246 [Open]

[daughterofursa]

Who: Zuko and anyone
Open: Open!
When: Day 246
Where: Around the Bastion
What: Daily Zuko stuffs
Format: I'll match
Warnings: Honor

Zuko keeps herself pretty busy around the Bastion. She likes to get involved in whatever's going on--not because she's a social butterfly, as anyone who talks to her can figure out, but because she feels it's important. Even if there isn't anything special going on, she's unlikely ever to be found lazing around. Her typical mornings have developed a certain routine to them.

A) Pool
This is one of the closest things Zuko has to a hobby, and she still approaches it entirely too seriously. Well, aside from the fact that she has yet to obtain a swimsuit and is in fact swimming laps in pants and a halter top. She's not remarkably fast or doing any fancy strokes, but she can make quite a few laps before stopping to rest, unless someone wants to interrupt her.

B) Training Building
Somehow, Zuko seems to keep picking up students. At the moment, it's just Rin and Rob whom she trains with any regularity, and she makes herself available at the training building for part of the morning if they or anyone else is interest in practice.

Personally, she prefers to train out of doors, so until anyone shows up, she can be found outside the building running through firebending forms (sans any actual fire).

C) Lake
Around midday, Zuko picks up some food from the distillery and makes her way over to the lake. There, she sits down crosslegged to eat, tossing crumbs of her bread out to the turtle ducks. It's about as relaxed and leisurely as Zuko gets doing anything, and a good time to grab her before she sets some other task for herself.

Comments

[daughterofursa]

Whatever his tone, he's talking to someone who literally wanted lightning to strike her so she could practice redirecting it. The concept of protective equipment is a little far removed from how Zuko's mind works.

"If you insist."

She's so hardcore!

[kuma_killer]

"Thanks."

He runs off and, after maybe ten minutes, he returns with the gloves dangling from his neck. He's already wrapped his fists so all he has to do is slip the gloves on and tightens the lacing.

Hitting them together, he seems to like the feel.

"Any sort of rules? Time limits?"

Or possibly a little nuts

[daughterofursa]

"For a sparring match?" She shakes her head. "We don't actually try to kill each other."

Ippo did mention boxing was more of a sport, but what other rules do you really need?

[kuma_killer]

"Alright." He gives a roll of his shoulders then lifts his fists and gets into a traditional boxing stance. Seeing what Zuko was doing before, he knows that all of her will be a potential weapon, not just her hands.

"Ready."

[daughterofursa]

Likewise Zuko has some idea of what to expect from having seen Ippo fight, and her first move is a low sweeping kick, something that might have thrown the other boxer off balance and at least keeps her from being directly in the path of his fists.

She has speed on her side, but any blows she lands won't have the force Takamura is probably used to. Although most of her moves are adapted from firebending, her style is less aggressive and more reactive than when she's using her bending. She relies more on being able to use her opponent's actions against them.

[kuma_killer]

It's certainly not a bad move and suggests that she knows at least a little about boxing, probably from Ippo. It makes sense to target the legs of fighters who usually don't have to worry about defending them. Unfortunately, Takamura was a fighter long before he was a boxer.

Giving a bit of a smirk, Takamura crouches as he sees Zuko going down until he's kneeling when the kick lands. The much sturdier position keeps him from being put on his back and he openly grins.

"Don't underestimate boxers." He then leans forward, attempting to throw an overhand right now that they're on the same level. Of course, not being on his feet means he can't give the punch the speed or power he usually could. It's also a big, easily telegraphed swing.

[daughterofursa]

"Just making sure you're not all talk."

His punch is a slower one, and it gives her time to shift her weight to the leg she extended for the kick, pulling her body out of the way. She straightens her stance in the same motion and tries for a downward strike with the side of her hand while he's still crouched.

[kuma_killer]

Pulling back his right arm, he brings it up to block the downward strike while he rises upto his own feet. That fact that he's a good bit taller than Zuko has him pushing the defended attack up and away when he stands thn he goes to his original stance.

Rocking steadily to a silent rhythm, Takamura begins to advance towards Zuko.

[daughterofursa]

He forces her back a few steps when he deflects her attack. She brings her arms up, ready and waiting this time to see what he's going to do. It's a neutral jing moment; Toph would be proud.

[kuma_killer]

The height advantage also gives Takamura a noticeable advantage in reach as well, lets see how Zuko handles that.

The moment he gets into range, his left fist snaps out with lightning quickness, Takamura aiming two quick jabs right for Zuko's chin.

[daughterofursa]

Zuko was expecting a strike, but not for him to move as quickly as that. She's lucky it came from her right side, because that lets her see it clearly enough to dodge to the inside; Takamura might notice over the course of the fight that her vision is poorer on her left.

Also, apparently her way of dealing with the reach disadvantage is to use her legs instead. She kicks up with her right, though it might be something he can still block easily with his other hand.

[kuma_killer]

She is correct as Takamura brings his other arm to bear and blocks the incoming kick. It's a good solid blow that he feels all through his arm and into his shoulder. Rather than wait for Zuko to pull her leg back, Takamura takes the moment to dash forward and literally use his body to run into her. In the ring, this would be used to close distance to possibly clinch or initiate an in-fight but Takamura is looking to try and knock her off balance.

[daughterofursa]

Maybe Zuko should start anticipating people tackling her; using your body that way is just not something that makes that much sense in bending.

Not even being on both her feet when he plows into her, Takamura's definitely successful at destroying her balance. Zuko stumbles backwards, just barely managing not to fall over and certainly in no position to attack.

[kuma_killer]

Takamura's expression is stern, but he's inwardly impressed with Zuko's balance as she manages to keep from ending up on the ground. Moving in after her as she staggers back, the next attack would come from her left side as Takamura attacks with a right hook.

For a moment, he considers aiming for her temple on the side of her head but he changes his mind and shifts the angle, going for her chin instead.

[daughterofursa]

Zuko doesn't have enough control of her stance to dodge it, even if she had seen it coming a little sooner. The best she can do is roll with it to lessen the impact, but taking the hit at all means she can't keep her feet.

She hits the ground with a grunt, but doesn't stay there. Her instincts tell her that an opponent isn't going to wait for her to get up. She shifts her weight onto her arms and whips both legs around to kick out more where she remembers Takamura being than seeing him. It should at least keep him back until she's back on her feet.

[kuma_killer]

This time, her instincts are right on as Takamura was moving in to try and pin her down and get her to submit. Instead, he's stopped as Zuko's feet hit him in the gut. He's taken enough shots there to not be doubled over, but he does end up backing up a couple steps from the force and Zuko heard the loud 'oof' that came with the blow landing.

[daughterofursa]

Zuko's expression is normally pretty severe when she's fighting, but as she jumps back to her feet, there's a fleeting smirk--even if her jaw still smarts.

This time, Zuko doesn't wait for him to come to her but presses the offensive. She anticipates him blocking her first punch, but she needs to close the distance and create an opening somewhere.

[kuma_killer]

Takamura saw that smirk and he has one of his own as Zuko continues to take the offensive. It's really her only option with his reach advantage. It's a gamble, but the fact that she's willing to take that gamble shows guts. And he likes guts.

Holding his ground, Takamura decides to go one for one with Zuko, letting her hit land while throwing one of his own to trade.

[daughterofursa]

Zuko throws her other hand against his wrist even as she leans away from it, making sure there's enough room for the blow to miss her head. She leans a little farther, a counterbalance as she kicks for his side.

[kuma_killer]

With the first punch deflected, it shifts into a one-two combo where Takamura turns his body and begins punching out with his other fist as he pulls back the first one.

Again, he's not making the attempt to block the kick. With a leg in the air, perhaps she won't be able to get away this time.

[daughterofursa]

His assessment is accurate. Her kick lands, but so does his punch this time, and Zuko goes stumbling back. She is not used to fighting people who just take hits.

[kuma_killer]

While the big lug takes the kick without complaint, it's good and solid and he'll likely have a bruise from it later but it's an area he's used to being hit in. Taking blows is a lot easier when not fighting people wielding the elemental forces of nature.

Dashing forward with his arms in, he's ready to go in for the finish and swings low, aiming for Zuko's body.

[daughterofursa]

It's true, it would be a terrible strategy against benders, which is why Zuko isn't used to it.

His follow-up catches her before she's regained her balance, and she goes down with an oof.

[kuma_killer]

Takamura shifts his body, bringing his other fist around and down towards the grounded Zuko in a punch that would, if he weren't wearing gloves, likely crack someone's skull. But he doesn't intend to carry it out. Whether Zuko evades or not, Takamura intends to stop the blow before it lands.

[daughterofursa]

Zuko really needs more time than that to recover from the previous blow, but the sight of a fist headed straight for face forces her to try. She manages to roll onto her side, enough maybe to avoid the blow if he really did follow through with it, but she's still slow as she starts to push herself up.