[Probably for the best. Heather IS that type... her anger had kept her alive through horrors not fit for any living thing, but it tripped her up just as often. He's got her figured out in that regard. Truth be told, she even knows underneath that he could have avoided that. But the very fact that he let her hit him is SOMETHING, because it means she must have done something right, because if she hadn't, he sure isn't the type to oblige people.]
[She skids to a halt a safe distance away before turning back to him and straightening up.]
Thanks! ... Practice, y'know?
[Fighting monsters might not be the same thing as fighting people, but it sure did teach you how to bash heads in.]
[Closing the distance in a few short strides, and moving to grasp her arm, to pull her down and pin her to the ground, if she doesn't move, or try something.]
[She does move. This, more than any type of offense, is the sort of skill that Silent Hill truly honed. After all, if you couldn't hit things without getting hurt, running was always an option. But no matter what, you did NOT want to get pinned. Heather hates being pinned. Too many memories burned into her brain of heavy weight on her chest and a Slurper's grinning teeth gnashing the flesh away from her skull until everything went dark to easily forget.]
[As Ironhide comes at her, she ducks and springs to the side far more instinctively than the motion she initially attacked with. Ducking under his arm if she has to, she aims to swerve around his charge and lash out with the sword at his back on the way past, because the information her instincts scream out at her are 'BIG. HEAVY. Like a Closer. Be faster. The back is a big target. Hit that'.]
[More automatic than rational, and definitely her old monster-fighting instincts surfacing more than anything else ... except for the fact that when she dodges, she does it on
( ... )
[He keeps moving forward, until he's past her once again, feeling the sword thwack him on the back.]
[That was better than he'd expected. Granted, she hadn't seemed completely in control of her fleeing, but a dodge was a dodge, and he can't fault that. He stops, and turns back to her, arms folded.]
Tell me why you did what you just did.
[Reasoning is important for kicking ass, after all.]
[She turns as well, panting slightly-- seeing him just COME AT HER like that definitely got the adrenaline pumping, and she stays tense for a second or two until she's sure he's waiting for a response and not about to rush her again. Then she straightens up and sucks in a deep breath to compose herself. Whew.]
If you'd gotten me on the ground, I'd be more or less dead, if this were a real fight. Couldn't chance trying to hold you off. Had to get out of the way.
... And chances of being able to dodge were better on the side you couldn't see me as well with.
[This time, she doesn't thank him verbally-- just nods. Talking too much left her wide open for distractions. Downside of being a total motor-mouth. Then she sucks in a deep breath and re-adjusts her grip on the weapon, squaring her jaw determinedly.]
Okay.
[No running this time... And she remembers how he grabbed her weapon during the tournament. Don't want THAT to happen again... When he comes at her, she ducks under his arm like she had before, but this time turns on her heel, swinging the wooden blade overhand to bring it down as hard as he can on his wrist-- which in hindsight is not the BEST place she could have struck, but... it'll stop him from being able to snatch the weapon away! ... Hopefully.]
[If he'd really been trying, he might have been able to grab the weapon. Or grab her. But now is about training, about getting better. So he moves slowly, lets the blow connect.]
[And raises an eyebrow. If that had been a real weapon, he would have been in trouble.]
[... Yep. It's probably a good thing she never got her hands on an actual sword in this place. ... Not that she'd have genuinely swung a real blade at a friend, but.]
[She puffs out a breath, sort of nodding. He let her do that, she knows.]
Thanks... but if I can't do what I just did, what then? Where should I try and attack if something happens and I can't dodge?
[She's never been great at attacking things that are coming at her head-on... ducking and weaving, out-maneuvering her opponents... that was what she'd always relied on.]
[He turns to face her fully, and extends his arms. He doesn't make a move toward her, not yet. This is probably less panic-inducing if he tells her what's going on.]
Come here. I will show you -- grab you, show you where to go.
[He nods too, and reaches around, grasping her arms. He puts some pressure on them, indicating he needs her to lower them, so he can better pin her to his chest.]
Tell me your options, if I were an enemy, and had you like this.
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[She skids to a halt a safe distance away before turning back to him and straightening up.]
Thanks! ... Practice, y'know?
[Fighting monsters might not be the same thing as fighting people, but it sure did teach you how to bash heads in.]
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[Closing the distance in a few short strides, and moving to grasp her arm, to pull her down and pin her to the ground, if she doesn't move, or try something.]
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[She does move. This, more than any type of offense, is the sort of skill that Silent Hill truly honed. After all, if you couldn't hit things without getting hurt, running was always an option. But no matter what, you did NOT want to get pinned. Heather hates being pinned. Too many memories burned into her brain of heavy weight on her chest and a Slurper's grinning teeth gnashing the flesh away from her skull until everything went dark to easily forget.]
[As Ironhide comes at her, she ducks and springs to the side far more instinctively than the motion she initially attacked with. Ducking under his arm if she has to, she aims to swerve around his charge and lash out with the sword at his back on the way past, because the information her instincts scream out at her are 'BIG. HEAVY. Like a Closer. Be faster. The back is a big target. Hit that'.]
[More automatic than rational, and definitely her old monster-fighting instincts surfacing more than anything else ... except for the fact that when she dodges, she does it on ( ... )
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[That was better than he'd expected. Granted, she hadn't seemed completely in control of her fleeing, but a dodge was a dodge, and he can't fault that. He stops, and turns back to her, arms folded.]
Tell me why you did what you just did.
[Reasoning is important for kicking ass, after all.]
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If you'd gotten me on the ground, I'd be more or less dead, if this were a real fight. Couldn't chance trying to hold you off. Had to get out of the way.
... And chances of being able to dodge were better on the side you couldn't see me as well with.
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[He steps forward again, with deliberate slowness.]
We will go again. See if you can hit harder. A real strike. Defend yourself -- do not simply flee.
[He's not charging, Heather, but he's repeating the same motions he just used, to try and trap her, to pin her. Just... moving at half-speed.]
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Okay.
[No running this time... And she remembers how he grabbed her weapon during the tournament. Don't want THAT to happen again... When he comes at her, she ducks under his arm like she had before, but this time turns on her heel, swinging the wooden blade overhand to bring it down as hard as he can on his wrist-- which in hindsight is not the BEST place she could have struck, but... it'll stop him from being able to snatch the weapon away! ... Hopefully.]
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[And raises an eyebrow. If that had been a real weapon, he would have been in trouble.]
Better. Disable your opponent. A good plan.
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[She puffs out a breath, sort of nodding. He let her do that, she knows.]
Thanks... but if I can't do what I just did, what then? Where should I try and attack if something happens and I can't dodge?
[She's never been great at attacking things that are coming at her head-on... ducking and weaving, out-maneuvering her opponents... that was what she'd always relied on.]
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[He turns to face her fully, and extends his arms. He doesn't make a move toward her, not yet. This is probably less panic-inducing if he tells her what's going on.]
Come here. I will show you -- grab you, show you where to go.
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All right... grab away.
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Tell me your options, if I were an enemy, and had you like this.
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Uh...
[... Well. She could knee him (or the hypothetical enemy) in the crotch. But she has a feeling that's not one of the moves he's talking about.]
I could... punch you in the bad hip?
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[To punctuate his point, he tightens his grip on her arms.]
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