Yumi sat in silence, sitting herself underneath a tree. This is fine, at least we aren’t fighting anymore… maybe I should train a bit… She jumped up and tapped Rose’s shoulder lightly.
“Hey, Rose, I um… could you help me train…? I’m not strong at all… and I think I could use some help…” Yumi said shyly. “Um if you can’t… I’m sorry for bothering you…”
“So, you both have inter-dimensional pockets that you can access. That sounds quite useful,” Dare mused. “You folks sure are quite interesting.”
Rose looked to Yumi and nodded "Of course you train with me sweetie." she said as she gently ran a hand down her cheek "What do you wanna work on?"
"Well besides Rose magic drains us pretty quickly. Think of it like a wild animal. It's not really under our control and would like to kill us at anytime it finds it can. Rose has 'tamed' that animal. So that's why she can use magic pretty freely…more than other magic users that is." Ember explained
“Um… I’m terrible at hand to hand combat, but I’m ok with a sword… I’m usually stuck useless when water gets on my mech, so I wanted to work on that…” Yumi said shyly, her legs still bruised from all the tripping she did trying to run from people.
“That makes sense,” Dare replied, picking at the seam of her jeans. She shuddered a bit at the thought of what Rose could have done to her if Tempest hadn’t stepped in. “Magic sounds very risky. You must be quite brave to use it so much.”
Rose stood to her feet and made her staff appear once again "First we'll work on your sword play." she backed up a little "Let me see how you fight. Don't worry even if you do hit me it won't leave much a cut." she said as she held out her staff in a defensive stance
"It's necessary." Ember looked over to Rose "I'm glad we have someone like her. She's like Tempest in so many ways…she's sweet….fiercy protective of her friends…"
“She seems so….” Dare said a bit nervously. Was Ember trying to intimidate her into telling the truth? If so, it was beginning to work. She started to clean her glasses on the sleeve of her sweatshirt, not meeting Ember’s eyes.
"Don't worry though…we'll get you guys home…it's wrong to forcefully pull ones from their own universe…it's not natural." Ember told her as she started to restring her bow
"Geez, this is jacked up." Erika put a hand to her neck in nervousness. "I'm glad that we're a stronger force, though. Ember has…gotten me out of a lot of trouble, and I owe her. A lot."
“Thanks. Truly,” Dare said quietly. She pushed her glasses up on her face and twirled a lock of hair between her fingers. “It’s so different here from back home, with shadow monsters and magic and people speaking inside my head. I am most certainly out of my element”
"People speak inside your head? Weird. Haven't had that happen yet, and I don't want it to!" Erika laughed. "Sorry, though. Wish I could help."
Rose stood to her feet and made her staff appear once again "First we'll work on your sword play." she backed up a little "Let me see how you fight. Don't worry even if you do hit me it won't leave much a cut." she said as she held out her staff in a defensive stance
Yumi nodded, nervous. She put out her arm extension and remove the katana, moving it to her other hand then retracting her extension. She gripped the katana with both hands, sweating nervously. Yumi’s stance was horrible, her was shaking, her posture poor, her knees arched yet straight, her katana was close to her chest. Yumi ran forward, shutting her eyes as she slashed forward, trying not to hurt Rose, even though she is fully aware it won’t do anything. Yumi backed away and opened her eyes, looking sad.
“I-I’m sorry… I’m really bad…” Yumi said, her expression somewhat depressed.
Rose had deflected the strike pretty easily. She let out a little sigh and Knelt down to her level "It's alright you just gotta learn" she said to Yumi. She gently told Yumi how to correct her stance, moving her arms to be in front of her, and her posture to be straighter but not board stiff. She also used her own feet to move Yumi's legs to a stronger center of balance. "And always keep your eyes open alright? You're gonna want to see where you hit something."
“Usually my mech does the work… but I’m useless without it… that’s why I’m trying to train.” Yumi said, trying to keep her eyes open. “I am pretty fast I guess… all I do is run away from my problems…”
Yumi balanced herself, thinking. If she was really going to attack someone, she had to be quick and nimble, that’s why her mom recommended a light weapon like a katana. Yumi’s form of combat in her mech is usually stiff and powerful, not that fast though, her mech is also useless in the rain, which happens a lot. Yumi remembered something her mother taught we her, to hold her katana, hold it at a 180 degree angle, and hold it a bit closer to her face, it helped posture. She followed her mother’s advice, but loosened her shoulders, making it easier to move. Yumi tried keeping a serious expression.
“I-I think I can do this… I used to train with my mother… before she died…” Yumi said, her face still looked serious, although she was reminded of her mother’s death, which she witnessed in front of her, a sword right through her mother. Her mother tried to protect her but died in the process, luckily her dad was still around, but one day he left and didn’t return. “Um… is being fast good for stuff like this…? I mean I’m not strong… but I’m not pathetic…”
"Yeah of course it is. The more little cuts and bruises you can give someone, the quicker they'll get worn out." Rose told her and then motioned "Try again."
Yumi took a deep breath, steadying herself, now silent. She looked focused and calm. She took her katana, tilted it and ran, but instead of directly hitting Rose, she pinned the Katana into the ground, swung herself, grabbed the katana out and slashed at Rose’s back, she wasn’t sure if it hit or not, after she attempted she backed up and fell over on a tree branch. Her katana went to her side, far enough from her body not to cut her, and a bruise appeared on her elbow. She sat up and giggled, trying to laugh it off.
“No matter what kind of cool stuff my brain comes up with, I always hurt myself. Just like my inventions when they blow up.” Yumi said with a smile.
There was a orange afterglow of a slash all down Rose's back, she seemed to have put a protective spell tha still showed if anything connected with the spell. "Would you look at that you did good!" Rose seemed excited and pulled Yumi into a hug after the aftermark vanished
“I-I did?” Yumi smiled, her cheeks getting slightly red, she looked like a happy child. “Thank you! I’m glad I’m doing ok! Maybe I won’t be useless without my mech after all.”
Yumi glanced at her katana, her mother’s name still carved on the handle. Yumi frowned, then smiled again. I miss you mother, but look at me now, I saved someone’s life. I wish you were still here.
"You can do this…Tempest told me about you coming back with us and I'm gonna say…I'd love to have you come home with us." Rose softly told Yumi
“R-Really? I… I would love that… I haven’t had a home since… since…” Yumi fell tears run down her face, but she smiled. “It’s nothing. But I would love to stay with you. It would make my life better.”
Rose gently wiped the tears away, her eyes a gentle green glow of her natural eye color returning as her protective spell faded "We gotta make sure everyone else gets home too. Can you help us do that…with even Dare?"
Yumi smiled. “O-of course! I will do anything to be in peace!”
Yumi’s smile looked genuine, her excitement necessary, even her posture hyped. Her eyes filled with determination, she happily thought to herself. I-I did it! I made a friend! I-I feel so happy…
Yumi stood up. “Even though I don’t trust Dare, if you do, that’s enough for me.”
(Should I wait for @vidari-is-tired-in-advance ? I don't mean to be rude, sorry.)
"People speak inside your head? Weird. Haven't had that happen yet, and I don't want it to!" Erika laughed. "Sorry, though. Wish I could help."
Dare immediately realized her mistake in bringing up Zerack’s presence in her mind while she was infected. “Oh, forget I said anything,” she said with a fake nonchalance. “It’s all right.”
"Oh, well, I hope you're alright, for sanity's sake." Erika smiled. After a few awkward beats of silence, she spoke. "So, besides this, what do you do normally? In your universe?"