Which One is the Loser?
Leonardo silently appraised her movements which were more like a dance with the sword as a prop than a fighting sequence that looked like a dance. She was good, in her own right. Her breathing was as measured as any well-trained ninja, her feet placed into specific positions, her sword seemingly to cover all points around her body in a flash. There was a strange grace to her, something that wasn't normally seen as a human's grace. Like a panther, perhaps, or a swan.
Arista's eyes remained unfocused and drawn into herself as she practised one movement over and over. She still wasn't comfortable with it, and it had nearly cost her her sword arm. Now, trying to convince her right arm to use this maneuver was proving to be more difficult than before. But she wasn't so into herself to the point where she couldn't notice the flash of two new blades before her.
Arista flashed a smile. "Jealous?"
"I just thought you needed a partner."
She changed her style to allow Leo to come in with his own katana, tapping them away lightly. "A little presumptous of you, I think."
Leo shrugged a little as he avoided her thrust. "It's my job to know when a student requires a little coaxing."
"Ah...so not you feel that I need to be fathered." Arista's smirk grew wider. "You make an ass out of you and me."
"I would never assume!"
"As you think." She defended herself nearly effortlessly against Leo's twin blades. She was keen to his fighting style, almost expecting him to revert to martial arts physical contact. After all, that's what her friend Riva had done one time when loosing to a sword fight. Arista did not have any actual counter moves, but she kept Leo on his toes enough to keep him wary.
Arista locked her grey eeys with his so that she only saw the flash of blades in her perpheral vision. Leo couldn't help but feel that she was staring straight into his brain, picking out his next moves. Was she playing with him? How could she be holding back? And why was it that she was barely winded? He almost felt hypnotized by those flinty eyes. They demanded his attention, and he almost felt helpless to resist.
Finally, Leo broke out of the trance, flipping over Arista's head and landing behind her. They bother swerved to face each other, their swords sparking and singing as they clashed together. Arista had a bemused expression on her face. "Ye've had enough?"
Leo's eye widened in suprisement, then narrowed. "You, Lady, seemed to have taken to my supposed habit of assuming."
She chuckled huskily, ducking a round house and then hopping over a front sweep. "In my experience, when the opponent is strained, the opponent will begin the unexpected moves. Otherwise known as play dirty."
Leo decided that perhaps he should concentrate in putting this woman in her place and not be such a chatterbox. She was even cockier than Raph, but didn't have the aggression behind it. He also decided that he had been going too easy on her. evidently, her injury did not seem to hinder her performance.
Arista seemed to know when the Turtle decided to have body contact a part of this routine, and adjusted her tactics accordingly. Leo never knew anyone able to subsitute a sword for a bo, but she was making good time doing so. Who in the world was her master? It seemed as if she needed to prove that she was more than capable in handling herself against advirsaries, especially after whatever had happened to her.
Finally, Leo received the upper hand. He had managed to sneak under her defenses and disarm Arista. Swordless and unfamiliar with the ninja arts, she was quickly subdued. Soon enough, Arista found herself on her back as Leo pinned her. While she was winded, he was panting heavily. But her eyes never lost that twinkle of mischief. "Do you think you're finally made your point, Leo?"
For a minute, he had the overwhelming urge to kiss her. He had to do something to get that self assured smirk off her face, as if whatever he would try to do didn't matter. She would always have the upper hand. However, it seemed that no matter what, he would not be able to subdue her. Leo suddenly pushed himself off Arista as he heard a sound form the doorway. There were the rest of his brothers and his Master. How long had they been watching?! Evidently, from the smug look on Raph's face, long enough!
Leonardo silently appraised her movements which were more like a dance with the sword as a prop than a fighting sequence that looked like a dance. She was good, in her own right. Her breathing was as measured as any well-trained ninja, her feet placed into specific positions, her sword seemingly to cover all points around her body in a flash. There was a strange grace to her, something that wasn't normally seen as a human's grace. Like a panther, perhaps, or a swan.
Arista's eyes remained unfocused and drawn into herself as she practised one movement over and over. She still wasn't comfortable with it, and it had nearly cost her her sword arm. Now, trying to convince her right arm to use this maneuver was proving to be more difficult than before. But she wasn't so into herself to the point where she couldn't notice the flash of two new blades before her.
Arista flashed a smile. "Jealous?"
"I just thought you needed a partner."
She changed her style to allow Leo to come in with his own katana, tapping them away lightly. "A little presumptous of you, I think."
Leo shrugged a little as he avoided her thrust. "It's my job to know when a student requires a little coaxing."
"Ah...so not you feel that I need to be fathered." Arista's smirk grew wider. "You make an ass out of you and me."
"I would never assume!"
"As you think." She defended herself nearly effortlessly against Leo's twin blades. She was keen to his fighting style, almost expecting him to revert to martial arts physical contact. After all, that's what her friend Riva had done one time when loosing to a sword fight. Arista did not have any actual counter moves, but she kept Leo on his toes enough to keep him wary.
Arista locked her grey eeys with his so that she only saw the flash of blades in her perpheral vision. Leo couldn't help but feel that she was staring straight into his brain, picking out his next moves. Was she playing with him? How could she be holding back? And why was it that she was barely winded? He almost felt hypnotized by those flinty eyes. They demanded his attention, and he almost felt helpless to resist.
Finally, Leo broke out of the trance, flipping over Arista's head and landing behind her. They bother swerved to face each other, their swords sparking and singing as they clashed together. Arista had a bemused expression on her face. "Ye've had enough?"
Leo's eye widened in suprisement, then narrowed. "You, Lady, seemed to have taken to my supposed habit of assuming."
She chuckled huskily, ducking a round house and then hopping over a front sweep. "In my experience, when the opponent is strained, the opponent will begin the unexpected moves. Otherwise known as play dirty."
Leo decided that perhaps he should concentrate in putting this woman in her place and not be such a chatterbox. She was even cockier than Raph, but didn't have the aggression behind it. He also decided that he had been going too easy on her. evidently, her injury did not seem to hinder her performance.
Arista seemed to know when the Turtle decided to have body contact a part of this routine, and adjusted her tactics accordingly. Leo never knew anyone able to subsitute a sword for a bo, but she was making good time doing so. Who in the world was her master? It seemed as if she needed to prove that she was more than capable in handling herself against advirsaries, especially after whatever had happened to her.
Finally, Leo received the upper hand. He had managed to sneak under her defenses and disarm Arista. Swordless and unfamiliar with the ninja arts, she was quickly subdued. Soon enough, Arista found herself on her back as Leo pinned her. While she was winded, he was panting heavily. But her eyes never lost that twinkle of mischief. "Do you think you're finally made your point, Leo?"
For a minute, he had the overwhelming urge to kiss her. He had to do something to get that self assured smirk off her face, as if whatever he would try to do didn't matter. She would always have the upper hand. However, it seemed that no matter what, he would not be able to subdue her. Leo suddenly pushed himself off Arista as he heard a sound form the doorway. There were the rest of his brothers and his Master. How long had they been watching?! Evidently, from the smug look on Raph's face, long enough!