MARCH UPDATE

POSTED ON Apr 28, 2024 6:41:23 GMT

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MATIAS SILPH draws her against his body for his demonstration. her eyes follow her guided hand to the back of his neck, but she just feels for his wrist as instructed. [break][break]closeness distracts. she hears him, but she's not always fully listening — made distrait by the feeling of his neck beneath her fingers, the sturdiness of his body against her own. he resists a little against her grip and she blinks, engrossing herself in his lesson once more. [break][break]"dislocate your shoulder — got it." [break][break]annalise punctuates her words with a just kidding laugh. she runs through the steps once in her head, then tries. as he taught, she pushes against him, ducks, pulls. even if the throw has the uncertainty of a novice, she knows the most crucial part: let go.

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POSTED ON Apr 29, 2024 6:27:13 GMT

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his heart lurches, his stomach flips, and his breath is knocked out of him as he goes over her shoulder and comes crashing into the ground. dirt scatters from the impact. the lowly cloud parts from his cough and chuckle as he peers up at her.

"not bad. but could be better."

without waiting for a hand he knows would never come, he stands, grunting back up to his feet before assuming the same position. dirt smears against her.

he grins.

"come on, cadet. again."

[attr="class","retiredsilphtag"]annalise henderson

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anna, annie

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POSTED ON Apr 30, 2024 4:32:17 GMT

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with an ease that catches her off guard, MATIAS SILPH goes over her shoulders and off his feet. a gasp rises sharp in her throat as he makes contact with the ground in a scattering of dust. [break][break]"holy shit," she says, words muffled behind the cupped hands over her mouth. he coughs, chuckles, then critiques her. the immediate concern of hurting him dissipates. she drops her hands, eyes bright with delight. [break][break]i did it![break][break]"it was my first try." annalise holds a hand out, but he gets to his feet on his own. "you can't judge me that hard. also you didn't — " [break][break]he steps into her again and her voice lapses for a moment as she gets back into position. [break][break]" — show me how to break your fall."[break][break]but she doesn't give him the opportunity to teach her anyways. she goes through the steps faster this time. and as he hits the ground, she joins him in the dirt, leaning over him, an imaginary knife to his throat. a satisfied smile spreads across her face as she tells him: [break][break]"i beat you."

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POSTED ON Apr 30, 2024 5:21:32 GMT

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"you're not meant to break my fall."

the last bit of critique he delivers is for her sake. teaching her how would be good for the purposes of training, but the true intentions of why they're here today is to provide her the tools to do what she intends to. it would be a mistake to dull them before they're even sharpened.

before he knows it, he's swung over her shoulder like a sack of hot shit and is slammed into the ground, knocking the wind out of him even though the impact is expected.

he's not allowed much time to groan or cough before she's leaning over him, imaginary knife pressed to his throat. his grin persists.

"aye, but look down my dear."

a small EARTH SPIKE protrudes out the ground, aimed directly for her gut. the tip of it is rounded, however, eliminating the accidental risk altogether.

"you would've joined me in death."

[attr="class","retiredsilphtag"]annalise henderson

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POSTED ON Apr 30, 2024 5:45:26 GMT

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annalise looks down, feeling the fabric of her jacket scrape against the earth spike before she sees it. its rounded off for her protection, but she can tell the damage the projection could have done in another circumstance. her satisfied smile flattens into muted disappointment as she gets up. [break][break]"what am i supposed to do?" [break][break]she offers a hand out to MATIAS SILPH .[break][break]"even if i did that perfectly, you still would've gotten me."

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POSTED ON Apr 30, 2024 6:06:10 GMT

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her muted disappointment is understood but it does not damper the mood of their training. it's an expected reaction, one he accounted for, and one he seeks to correct now as he takes her hand and gets back up.

"you did what i would've done." what he still does now. "you got cocky."

he gives her a pat on her shoulder, hoping the gesture would dull the sting of further critique.

"but you're not me, anna, at least not yet. fight aggressively and show you have the upper hand, but always be prepared. in that situation just now, you should've slit my throat the moment i hit the ground; even before, if possible."

after a soft exhale, he steps in again, then reaches for her wrists to guide them into position.

"try again. come on. quicker this time. be fucking ruthless."

[attr="class","retiredsilphtag"]annalise henderson

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POSTED ON Apr 30, 2024 7:27:22 GMT

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annalise doesn't feel cocky. she thinks comfortable is a better word for it, maybe. she feels comfortable here, with MATIAS SILPH, in a simulated fight where she knows they aren't actually trying to kill each other. she takes the rest of his critique with minimal pouting, readied for it by the preceding gentle pat on the shoulder. [break][break]she's acutely aware of something against her skin, but it isn't him this time. she lets him guide her hands into place, but it isn't necessary anymore. she knows where they belong. she knows the steps to throw him over her shoulders, just as she can approximate the spot where he'll land after knocking him down twice before. [break][break]and she knows the flash of silver that appears from within her jacket. she's imagined this with so many rockets, but a split-second of clarity reminds her of the man below her. she doesn't follow through with dragging the blade across his neck, even though she can feel the lingering itch in her fingers. [break][break]she stops holding the handle against his throat and sits up on top of him, chest rising and falling with effort. her eyes wander from his face, looking for his killing blow. [break][break]"better?"

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matias

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POSTED ON Apr 30, 2024 7:39:09 GMT

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again, he's tossed, though this time he doesn't even get the chance to flick his wrist for another EARTH SPIKE before he feels the cool silver against his neck. after hitting the ground, he opens his eyes to see her on top of him, ready to claim her victory.

"i guess so."

but the glimmer behind his eyes says nice. he dares not glance down at the blade at his neck; his gaze remains on her.

"i'd say you're a fast learner but i'm pretty sure you just have a great teacher."

slowly, his hand reaches for her wrist to gently guide the blade away.

"i think you're ready for your next lesson."

[attr="class","retiredsilphtag"]annalise henderson

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POSTED ON Apr 30, 2024 8:28:03 GMT

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she deserves to relish in the impressed look in his eyes, to smile self-satisfied that she drew her knife before he could manipulate the ground into something deadly but she just feels a tangle of guilt as the adrenaline leaves her system. for a moment, he had been an echo of everyone that had ever hurt her, vulnerable beneath her. [break][break]but she sees him now. MATIAS SILPH. looking steadily at her instead of the knife. he grabs her wrist to move the knife away, but she's already in the stages of withdrawing it anyways. [break][break]"really?" that was fast, she doesn't say, chalking up the accelerated course as part of their fast learner - great teacher combination. [break][break]"what's the next lesson?"

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matias

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POSTED ON May 1, 2024 7:56:20 GMT

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"really."

pride reflects softly behind his tone, faint but evident in the way he looks up at her. though he's trained many before; cadets, allies, even civilians at times; none of them seem to compare.

their next lesson is simple:

"how to fight from a losing position."

which is where he is now, but not for long.

once the blade is guided into a relatively safe position, his left arm clamps down on her thigh, pinning her against him before rolling to the side. it doesn't take much for them to swap positions.

after their brief roll, he ends up on top, his forearm grazed slightly by the dagger.

"and how to win."

with his other hand still gripping her wrist that holds the blade, he grins down at her.

"how would you escape this?"

[attr="class","retiredsilphtag"]annalise henderson

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POSTED ON May 2, 2024 6:34:26 GMT

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annalise dips her chin in acknowledgement as MATIAS SILPH reveals the next lesson. she expects him to flip her, but she hopes he doesn't while she still has a knife in her hand. an arm pins her thigh against his side, then her back hits the dirt. in the brief, sudden transition, all she can think about is the sharp object between them. [break][break]"sorry."[break][break]a glance at her pinned wrist is enough for her to notice the thin red line against his skin. she settles in the dust and tilts her head back to look up at his face, eyes tracing the assuredness of his grin. he's been smiling this whole time, she thinks, but it's only here, from this perspective, that it dawns on her. [break][break]"um ... "[break][break]she looks down between them. she has a hand free and her hips are open — her strategy returns to something familiar. her fingers furl into her palm. she swings her fist at his jaw, leveraged by a pinned arm and the shift of her hip. the punch has no power to it; it's just a demonstration. [break][break]"something like that? and then — i don't know — i'd probably struggle out." [break][break]the corners of her mouth curl knowingly. [break][break]"but you're about to show me a better way, right?"

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matias

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POSTED ON May 2, 2024 8:15:08 GMT

[attr="class","retiredsilphbg"]

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for whatever reason, he's not expecting the punch even though that's the most logical thing to do. it's for that same reason why he didn't think to pin her other wrist to the ground. he only has himself to blame.

"ouch. sure, something like that, but you're going to need to know how to struggle out."

releasing her wrist, he thinks for a moment before nodding.

"wrap your legs around me," he reaches around to lift them around his waist, "tense your core and imagine curling into a ball. your goal is to get me as close to you as possible so i can't keep punching you."

even if she doesn't curl up, he leans down until his body presses against hers. his face nears hers, close enough to feel her breath against his skin. his gaze shifts up to find hers. the brief pause is unintentional, as though words catch in his throat the moment he looks into her eyes.

it passes quickly, composure returning.

"following so far?"

[attr="class","retiredsilphtag"]annalise henderson

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POSTED ON May 4, 2024 2:26:20 GMT

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MATIAS SILPH releases her wrist and she's quick to sheath the knife before he moves forward with his lesson. she's always tempered her fighting with instinct and split-second decision, so it's a little funny to her that there's technique to something as base as struggling. [break][break]he directs her legs around his waist. she obliges under the guidance of his hands, hesitation stilting her movement. getting closer to her opponent has never come to mind in a position like this, only desperation to get out from under them. [break][break]but it's not desperation she feels now. he lowers his body against hers, face close enough to exchange a breath between them. their eyes meet, but nothing is said — just a wordless, self-conscious flush of her cheeks before he moves on. [break][break]"yeah. i think so." [break][break]she studies his face like he's brand new to her. and from this perspective, he is. she can feel the residual heat underneath her skin but to acknowledge it any more than she already is is to invite its resurgence. so instead —[break][break]"what now?"[break][break]— she pushes the lesson onward, restless for the part when he's on the bottom again.

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matias

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thirty-two

november 14th

saffron

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POSTED ON May 4, 2024 18:27:06 GMT

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"..."

the last time he'd been this close to her was under far different circumstances, drenched in rain and rage over miscommunication and not being on the same page. they'd been way out of sync, on opposing ends despite fighting for the same side.

there is no rain or rage this time. the absence of which has allowed something else to replace it; warmth and anxiety of which he almost never feels.

"uh —"

what now?

"— tense and pull me into you."

he tenses when she does before reminding himself that this is meant to be a lesson for her. so he eases, lowering down further into her. from here, his breath rolls off her neck, words soon following.

"clamp your arm against my leg, twist your hip, then roll me over."

clamp, twist, roll. their positions swap once more but the move is slightly botched. he forgot to mention how she's meant to right herself the moment they roll. not doing so would mean she'd end up pressed right into him nk differently than he was just now.

peering up at her, he feels heat rising into his face.

"...like that."

[attr="class","retiredsilphtag"]annalise henderson

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