"Honey, I'm hooooome!" I called out in a sing-song voice as I pushed open the door to Prism's place. I looked around, not seeing anyone.
But I soon heard a voice, Prism's voice, calling from further in. "Back here!" I headed to the back rooms and soon heard the buzzing of her tattoo needle. When I arrived at the room where she did her tattoos I found her hunched over a shirtless man laying face down on her bench, strapped in as usual.
Prism liked strapping people down. She claimed it was to prevent them from moving and flinching, and there was maybe some truth to that. But it was definitely also a kink of hers. Before, she just liked tying up others. Now, after I had broken her in, she enjoyed being tied up as well.
"What's up?" Prism asked, not looking up from the large tattoo she was inking onto the man's back.
"Yoko and Mei are busy talking weapons, and I had some free time before a meeting later today, so I figured I'd come hang out with you," I explained. "But if you're busy…"
"Nah, if you just wanna talk, that's fine," Prism said. "I can multitask. Oh, and don't worry about him. He's out cold. Said he didn't want to feel the pain, asked me to knock him out." She snorted. "It ain't a real tattoo if it doesn't hurt, but a customer is a customer."
I leaned over so I could see his face, which was slack. Definitely unconscious, and thankfully still breathing. I didn't have time to help her dispose of a body. "You have anesthetic here?" I asked, surprised.
"Ha! No, of course not." She shook her head. "That shit is expensive. I just used that." She nodded her head in the direction of a nearby worktable. It was cluttered with stuff, but laying on the center of the desk was a mallet with a rubber head.
"...right," I replied, unsure how to respond to that. So instead I decided to ignore it and move on. "In that case, we can talk shop. I've been trying to figure out what to do with the first floor of the base. I like the idea of making it a legit business, so it doesn't look so weird when people come in and out. But I can't decide what. I was thinking we could move you over there, but the space is honestly too big for just you, so instead we'd put up some walls, create a few small places and rent them out to small businesses. Ones vetted by me, of course."
"Could work," Prism said without any real enthusiasm. "I'm not in a hurry to move, but I do miss working at the same place I sleep. Commute is a hell of a lot longer. But to be honest, I think it'd be a waste."
I raised an eyebrow. "A waste?"
"Yeah, a waste. That's actually a nice spot, you know? Right in the middle of a bunch of shops. Sure, it's still in the slummier part of town, but it's one of the nicer shitty spots, if that makes sense."
"Sure, sure, that's probably why they built a fire station there in the first place," I agreed. "But why does that matter?"
"Because if you put something good there, you could probably actually make some money," she said. "Even if you stuffed four places like mine into that floor, you're barely gonna make more money than you'd spend on taxes and upkeep. Stores like mine don't see many customers, so we make up for it by keeping costs pretty low. I barely have any operating costs, and the place is old but sturdy and I inherited it. Taxes, electricity, and food are my only real costs."
She shifted position, continuing her lecture while still tattooing the unconscious man. "If you wanna attract shopkeepers like me, you'd have to make rent pretty damn cheap, and considering everything else you got going on in that building, upkeep and electricity is gonna be pricey. You'll lose money that way."
I gaped at her, and she looked up at me with a confused look on her face. "What?"
"I just didn't expect you to be so business-savvy," I admitted.
She rolled her eyes and focused back on the tattoo. "I've run this place for nearly a decade, you don't do that without picking up a few things."
I shrugged. "Fair enough. Still, making a profit isn't a priority. That's what Junior is for, to fund me."
"Sure, but that's why I said it's a waste," Prism said. "Because with a space like that? You could definitely make a profit. And isn't more money better?"
I rubbed my chin. "It's hard to argue with that. Alright then, Ms. Hotshot Businesswoman. What should I do with it instead?"
She made a humming noise, considering it for a moment. "How about a mechanic's shop? You got a nice big garage and that Mei girl. She looks like she knows her way around a car."
"She's also the kind of girl that will add nitro even when the customer just came in for an oil change," I said. "Which is great for me, because I don't want to be in a car that doesn't have nitro if that's an option. But not really a good business practice."
"You'd be surprised, with the people around here," Prism commented.
"Maybe. But either way, that would make the garage too public, and I need it for my own stuff that I don't want everyone to see. Would be too easy to trace back to us if the van involved in a high speed chase was just out in the open in some auto shop."
"Mmm. Fair," Prism ceded. "How about a bar? You drank all my booze pretty quick, so I know you like the stuff. Good place to collect info too."
"That…" I started before trailing off as I thought it over. "That's a pretty damn good idea. It would also be a place to hang out and celebrate after a job. Nothing's weird about the owner of a bar drinking with his employees after all. And I can make my own booze to sell too."
Prism looked up at me with a raised eyebrow. "You're interested in brewing? I know a guy who can hook you up with some equipment."
I thought of one of the future Pirate perks I could upgrade myself with, the one that allowed alcohol to become a miracle substance for my crew. It would replace all dietary needs, act as a cure-all, act as an aphrodisiac, would substitute the need for sleep, and would even allow my crew to perform at their peak no matter how drunk they got.
But that was just drinking it. Distilling it myself would present chances to add things to each bottle of booze, turning them into things with magical effects. I could store a getaway vehicle in one, or a powerup, or a magic spell. Anything I could produce normally I could put into a bottle of booze. I wasn't exactly sure how that worked, but I was excited to find out.
"Yes, I'm interested," I told Prism with a grin on my face. "I'm very interested. Send him my number, tell him to text me. I'll reach out and we'll talk." I leaned over and grabbed her face before kissing her on the lips. "Thanks a ton Prism, you've really helped me out."
"Sure, sure, that's what I'm here for," she replied in a somewhat muted tone. But I saw the small smile she had on her face, exposing how pleased she was. But then she made shooing motions with her hand. "Now stop distracting me, I want to finish this before he wakes up and I have to hit him on the head again."
I snorted. "Right, right. Need to call Junior, get a contractor out, figure out the laws and how to avoid them…" I mumbled as I left, mind already whirring as I made a checklist for all the things I would need.
A couple of hours later I was standing on the still-empty first floor of my base, scroll held up to my ear as I waited on hold to talk to a contractor. I had never felt less like a Pirate, having to wait on bureaucracy, and I was filling the time trying to come up with a plan on how to just steal a contractor company or something to make sure I didn't have to deal with that kind of bullshit.
I almost regretted not just handing it off to Yoko, but she was even less suited to that kind of thing than I was. As was Mei. And Jian had his hands full with Mei, I could hear them in the Garage, causing some kind of ruckus. I didn't hear any explosions though, so I didn't worry about it.
There was Junior, of course, but I already roped him in and he was getting a lot of the other prep work done, there were just things I needed to handle myself. Like getting a contractor out here to talk about plans.
But then I heard a knock on the front door and turned to find Yang there. I would have been surprised, but I had been the one to invite her over at this time, so instead I was just pleased. I hung up the scroll, I'd call them back later, or maybe pay them a personal visit and instill a bit of 'respect' into them. Either way, Yang was more important. I waved at her, inviting her in. She raised an eyebrow at me through the glass window of the door, but pushed it open and walked inside.
"You know, this is a pretty sketchy place," Yang commented as she strolled over to me, her eyes roaming the room as she took it in. "Is this where you keep all your kidnapped girls at?"
"Yes, yes it is," I said in a joking tone, mostly amused by how accurate that statement actually was. Judging by the way she rolled her eyes in response, she didn't take me seriously, just as I intended. "But really, it's a new place and it's still under renovation. This floor will be a bar soon."
Yang came to a stop in front of me, just out of arm's reach, and crossed her arms. I saw her attention drift to the door that led to the garage, where the sounds of Mei and Jian working on something could be heard. "That explains the noise." She turned her attention back to me. "Alright, I'm here, as asked. I'm even armed, though I have no idea why you wanted me to be, unless you're some kind of masochist."
"I prefer being the one dishing out the pain, if anything," I replied smoothly. "But, well, it'll make sense if you agree to my proposition."
She raised an eyebrow. "I'm listening, but if you want someone beat up, it's not happening. I'm not a thug for hire."
I waved away her concerns. "It's not like that. It's simple, I've started hunting down Raven Branwen. I know where she was six months ago so it's just a matter of following the trail. It shouldn't take too long, a few months at most. But that just means it's time to talk about payment."
I was still lying to her, I hadn't even done a cursory internet search to try to track her down. But that wouldn't matter. I'd track her down eventually, and Yang would be mine before she discovered the deceit.
"I can get my hands on some money, especially in that time," Yang said. "But you're not getting a cent until you give me the location."
"I figured you'd say that, which is why I'd like to propose an alternative," I replied. "After all, it's against my policy to not charge some kind of fee up front. But it doesn't have to be money."
Her brow furrowed. "I know I'm hot, but I'm not a whore either."
I smiled. "Hot indeed, and I would accept that, but that's not what I was suggesting. I want you to use your body in a different way. To get right to it, I need a highly skilled sparring partner to shake off my rust. And, after looking into you, I found your Signal records, and I think you're a perfect fit for the job."
Her eyes widened slightly before narrowing again. "You looked at my records?"
"Yes I did, Ms. Xiao Long, daughter of Taiyang Xiao Long and Raven Branwen," I replied with a smirk. "What, you think I'm not going to research the teenage girl looking for one of the most wanted people in Mistral? For all I knew you were some kind of plant."
She looked pretty mad. "You shouldn't have done that, that was private!"
"Oh, I guess I should stop looking for Raven then, wouldn't want to intrude on her privacy," I snarked with a roll of my eyes. "Relax, I didn't go digging for your three sizes or your browser history or anything. I just needed to know how dangerous you were. I don't even really care whatever family drama is pushing you to find her, that's your business. All that matters is that I can keep running my business."
She glared at me, but didn't say anything at first, obviously trying to think of an argument. "Two wrongs don't make a right," she mumbled, but apparently she wanted the information more than she was annoyed at my snooping. "Fine, whatever. So you want me to spar with you in exchange for the info?"
"In exchange for the up front fee for the info," I clarified. "And on a regular basis. I know you're starting Beacon soon, so you'll be in town. Say… once a week? Flexible which day?"
"I don't know… for how long?"
"Until I track down Raven, or three months, whichever happens first. Sessions will be an hour or two long, keep it flexible."
She pressed her lips together as she considered it. "And I wouldn't have to actually teach you anything? Just some sparring?"
"I'd appreciate it if you threw a few pointers my way, but I'm not expecting you to tutor me, just spar. And think about it this way. Even if I am leading you on, which I'm not, you've only lost a bit of time. Time you spent sparring someone handsome and awesome. That's not wasted time."
She rolled her eyes at my self-praise, but I also saw her relax. "You've got a point. In fact, it feels like too good of a deal."
"You just can't be pleased, can you?" I asked in mock exasperation. "I'll still be charging you once I get the actual information you know? Though that one I'll let you pay after I tell you, like you've demanded."
"I guess that's true," she admitted. "Alright, fine, you've got yourself a deal. I expect a discount on the price though."
"Sure, sure. We'll haggle out the exact payment once I've tracked her down. Sound good?"
She nodded. "Good enough. So, you got a place for us to spar?"
"As a matter of fact, I do," I replied. "And it's right upstairs. This isn't going to be just a bar, it's where I live as well." I led her to the stairs and started climbing.
"Hopefully it's more furnished than the first floor," she commented as she followed me, a little wary.
"I prioritized it," I assured her. "Business can wait, but I needed a roof over my head." We reached the third floor and I led her into the training room. My sword was already propped up against a wall there so I scooped it up. "And a place to blow off some steam, of course."
Yang whistled as she looked around. "This place is pretty legit. Not as nice as Signal's, but it's better than the gyms I've visited." She looked at me and the weapon I was holding, the still sheathed nodachi. "So we're starting right now?"
"Unless you're busy."
She grinned and cracked her knuckles. "Nah, I'm free. No aura monitor though?"
"You've got a scroll, don't you? Self-monitor."
Yang shrugged. "Fair enough. You ready?"
I drew my blade, tossing the sheath aside so I could grab it with both hands. "Come at me."
She did, not wasting a single moment. Yang wasn't the kind to hesitate, as shown by how quickly she had accepted my deal. It hadn't even been ten minutes since she knocked on my door, and now here we were, fighting with live weapons, and she was launching herself at me with a grin and raised fists.
She really was my favorite kind of girl.
I tried to dodge, but I was totally unprepared for the speed Yang could move at. Her fist slammed into my face, blunted by the thin shield of Aura there but not entirely blocked. I felt the punch and was pushed back by it, stumbling back a few steps as my world rocked.
Another punch, this one aimed at my gut, quickly followed, Yang pressing her advantage with a flurry of blows. I was more ready for this one, but not enough to dodge or block it, just enough to not be pushed back again, to push through it and prepare myself for the third blow.
I saw it coming, a straight jab aimed straight at my chest, unguarded as my sword had carelessly fallen to the side as I was distracted by the hits. I corrected that, swinging it at her arm, knowing that her Aura would prevent it from being cut but hoping to push it to the side and make her miss.
She saw it coming though and aborted her punch, pulling her fist back and causing my blade to swipe through empty air, which left me open for another jab from her other fist. I stepped back, and while I didn't dodge it completely, the blow against my shoulder was light enough that I barely felt it.
I knew I couldn't remain on the defensive, so I gripped my nodachi tightly and swung it directly at her body, letting out a yell of exertion as I did so. But, for all that my skill and strength was enough to take care of mooks without much trouble, a Huntress in training was a different matter. She didn't so much as flinch as she pushed the blade of my sword to the side, causing my swing to miss her entirely, and she stepped in close, too close for me to swing my sword at her again, and she readied another punch.
I wasn't going to give up after such a minor failure though. I let go of my nodachi with one hand. I didn't have enough time to throw a punch myself or grab her, but I was able to brace my now free arm in front of me and step into her, tackling her.
I felt my Aura slam into hers as our bodies collided, and for once it seemed like I had caught her off guard. I kept pushing into her, stepping forward as I aimed to throw her to the ground.
Which was when I felt her arms wrap around my midsection, her hands clasping behind her back, and I got a close look at her face for just a moment before she winked and then threw me over her head, sending me flipping through the air.
I shifted my weight, twisting so I landed on my feet facing her, and the hang time had given me plenty of time to mentally adjust. My knees bent as I hit the ground, and then I sprung forward, aiming another slash at her half turned body.
She raised her arms to block and my blade skittered across her weapons, Ember Celica. Then she pushed her arms out, her fists swinging out to either side of her, my sword following as well. The look on her face wasn't quite as cocky anymore, but I still had a ways to go before she'd feel annoyed or threatened.
But she was taking me a bit more seriously now, which she immediately showed by speeding up. She blurred as she closed the gap and unleashed rapid fire punches straight into my torso.
I stumbled back, struggling to get my sword between us in a defensive position, but she just circled me. I felt a kick hit me in the back of the knee, causing my leg to buckle, before I even realized she was to my side.
I managed to keep my knee from hitting the ground, barely, but Yang was already taking advantage of my imbalance with a devastating left hook that slammed into my face and sent me sprawling to the ground.
I quickly scrambled to my feet, but Yang hadn't pushed. She hung back, a cocky grin on her face. "Are you sure you're just rusty?" she asked. "At this rate I'm not even going to work up a sweat."
"Well, we can't have that, can we?" I joked right back. A lesser man would have his pride wounded by being beaten so handily by a girl. Me? This was just foreplay.
I reached into my pocket and grabbed my scroll, glancing at the aura I had left. I spotted Yang doing the same, pulling her scroll out of her cleavage. I couldn't see her screen, but my aura was already down to a bit under two thirds, and I'd be surprised if I managed to even take a tenth off of hers.
That was fine. It was more or less what I expected after all. I'd improve, but I needed that time and experience first, experience getting my ass beat. It was the fastest way after all. The tougher my opponent, the faster I learned. Largely due to my Talents… but I suspected my mostly-latent Spiral Power would help in the same way.
"I guess I should stop fucking around then, and get serious," I replied as I put my scroll away and straightened my back.
Yang rolled her eyes. "Oh, I've heard that one before. Let me guess, that was just one percent of your true power."
"That'd be nice, but nah, nothing like that," I replied as I held up my sword between us. "I just need to focus a bit."
I pushed down my body's natural instincts, fighting against the urge to mindlessly throw myself at her and run on instinct. Not that it was a bad plan, but I needed to clear my mind, at least for just a moment. I took a deep breath, filling my lungs with air, and I felt.
I hadn't experimented much with my new Haki yet. I had meant to right after I had unlocked it, but Yoko and I had gotten a little sidetracked during our spar. Thankfully it seemed like the most basic use of Observation Haki was a weak enough power that I didn't have to struggle to unlock it, I could just use it.
Well, somewhat. I couldn't keep it up all the time, and it did require me take a moment, like I was doing just then, to center myself, but already I could tell that would improve in time, as it was easier to slip into that zone while facing Yang than it had been when I had tried it while alone.
And as soon as I felt myself slip into that zone, I rushed Yang. I raised my sword high and then brought it straight down, a basic and simple attack. One that she made to dodge, of course. But even before she started moving, I shifted the angle of my attack, aiming it at the spot she was about to occupy. She noticed too late and was forced to tank the attack with her Aura, a hint of surprise in her eyes.
Observation Haki was weird. At its most basic it was simply another way to sense people. To tell where they were, even if you couldn't normally see them. To sense their emotions, even if they hid them from their body language. And to sense their intentions, knowing where each of their attacks would land.
Plenty of books and shows and other forms of media talked about sixth senses, but none of them did it justice. One Piece itself had several ways of showing and describing the use of Observation Haki. But none of them properly conveyed just how alien such a thing felt.
My sight hadn't improved. I wasn't hearing her any better. I couldn't feel her against my skin from afar. I couldn't taste her. I couldn't smell her attacks. None of my five senses were comparable to what I was feeling.
I just knew where Yang was. I was aware of her presence almost like I was aware of my own body's place and position. I felt surprised, and then I felt that surprise shift to annoyance and determination, a set of emotions separate from my own. I was aware of the way she shifted and the position she took. And I could even feel her focus as she took aim at me and where exactly she aimed to strike.
So I moved before she could, shifting the way out of her jab and swiping my sword under her extending fist, slamming it into her Aura-protected torso as she finished her attack.
I felt her shift, registering the attack and deciding in an instant to let it knock her back so she could put some distance between us as she reassessed me. She put her fists up in a classic boxer's guard and looked at me with narrowed eyes.
I gave her a grin. "Like I said, I'm taking this seriously now."
She snorted. "I guess I'm gonna have to do the same then," she said. She flicked her wrists, and I heard a metallic click as her weapons, her shotgun gauntlets shifted forms, switching from their passive mode to being ready to fire.
"No holding back," I agreed. And then I listened to my instincts and rushed her, mind focused on maintaining my Observation Haki as I let my reflexes handle the fighting.
The training room chamber vibrated as Ember Celica roared, the sound of it echoing back and layering on top of itself. But it seemed like hearing protection was one of the benefits of Aura, because it didn't hurt my ears like it would have before I unlocked it.
Of course, her shot missed, even as it sprayed a cone of dust-enhanced pellets at me. I simply wasn't there by the time she finished firing, having seen the attack coming. She punched forward again, with her other fist, and another blast roared, but I was still moving. I zigged and zagged between her shots until she was within my melee range, and I lunged at her, seeking to thrust my sword into her.
She was ready for that though, moving even faster than she had been before. I sensed her intention with my Haki to bat my sword to the side, and I tried to change my stab into a cut, but it was too late. My position wasn't suited for a cutting motion, and she moved too fast.
As I was forced to dodge from her retaliatory shot, I mused that it was a good reminder of the limitations of Observation Haki. I wasn't seeing the future, not yet at least, that would come later. For now I was limited to what she was doing and intending at the moment. If I couldn't react to that information in time, whether because she was too fast or I was in a bad position, or both, then I would still take the hit or miss the attack.
Yang used that to her advantage as we traded blows. She was faster than me, and her boxing-like style focused on quick movements, especially compared to the relatively slow swings of my larger sword. Even so, I gave as good as I got, for a while at least.
But Yang was the more experienced fighter, and it showed. I was forced to dodge backward and to the side as she shot both of her weapons at once, creating a large zone of danger that I had to scramble to avoid. But instead of taking advantage of it by rushing into my guard, she made a bit of distance and tried to keep shooting me.
So I closed the distance instead, once more dancing between her shots. I could feel my lips stretch wider, more confident in my movements than I had been at the start of the fight, as it was significantly easier to dodge her shots.
I recognized my folly a moment too late as I felt my confidence and smugness mirrored in Yang's own emotions. It took me another moment to spot the trap, by which point it was too late. I was straight in front of her, my sword behind me as I pulled it back for a powerful attack. And she was already ready.
Her foot slammed into the ground, nearly to the point of cracking it, as she stepped forward and punched. Her right fist hit my chest like a freight train, and that didn't feel like it was a metaphor or an exaggeration. I felt gravity briefly lose its hold on me before I slammed into the far wall of the training room, bouncing off the reinforced material and falling to the ground.
I was dazed, but the pieces of what just happened arranged themselves in my head as I recovered. Yang's shots hadn't been aimed at me. Or rather, they had, and she fully intended them to hit me, but they had another objective as well. She had aimed all of them in a way that controlled where I dodged, making it easier for me to dodge one way or the other. The exact way she wanted me to go to put me into a position that I couldn't escape.
Observation Haki let you feel the intention of others, but I was reminded for the second time of its limits. I could feel Yang's emotions as if they were a pale copy of my own, but that only went so deep. I could tell she had been planning something of course, but she had been planning something the entire fight, her focus fully on figuring out a way to pin me down. I couldn't read her mind to figure out the specifics of what she was planning, that came down entirely to experience, something I still lacked.
Unfortunately, her blow had shattered my focus as well, and I felt suddenly blind as I got to my feet to find her already closing the distance between us. I tried to focus, to use Observation Haki again, but I was too panicked and all I accomplished was a sloppy defense that she easily batted aside before she rained a flurry of blows on me, one that I could only endure.
Until I couldn't. There was a cracking sound, like glass shattering if you muted it and added an electric buzz over it, and the rain of fists stopped as my Aura broke. I slumped down to the ground on one knee, panting.
Yang backed off of course, her gauntlets clicking as they shifted back to their passive form. She crossed her arms under her breasts and looked down at me with a smug smirk. "Finally figured out that Semblance of yours," she said. "Some kind of danger sense, yeah?"
I blinked in confusion as I looked up at her before I understood what she meant. She had mistaken my Haki for my Semblance. Which made a lot of sense in hindsight. There was an obvious gap between my general skill and my ability to read her attacks after all. Being able to sense attacks or danger made perfect sense for a Semblance that neatly explained that gap.
"Something like that," I replied vaguely. Yang wasn't mine, not yet at least, and with her as a Huntress in training, there was a non-zero chance that she'd fight me for real if she encountered me during one of my raids. There was no sense in giving her any more information than necessary.
I stood up, limbs aching. With my Aura broken and my reserves depleted, I felt tired. The fire that had been burning in my chest ever since I had unlocked it was nothing more than faint embers, and on top of that I felt the normal lack of energy that came with exerting yourself.
Still, I was pleased. I had lost the fight, but it had been a valuable experience. "I think that's a good place to call it a day," I said as I stretched. I left my sword on the ground where it was- I'd grab it later- and started heading for the changing rooms. "It was a good fight, but I could use a shower now."
"Nothing beats a nice hot shower after a sweaty fight," she agreed, relaxing and sporting a grin. "You've got one here?"
"I've got a whole changing room," I said, indicating the door as I reached it. I paused and looked back over my shoulder. "Though… it only has one shower. So you'll have to wait."
I watched Yang's brow furrow briefly before her eyes widened in realization, but I was already pulling the door open and darting inside.
"You petty bastard!" I heard her yell as she chased after me, and I let out a cackle.
Okay, so maybe I was a little annoyed that I had lost the fight.
Then again… I would have done the same thing even if I'd won, so it didn't make a difference.
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AN: Sorry for the delay on this, I had something of a vacation. Well, more of a stay-cation, since it was just me taking time off of work and staying home all day. I mostly binged Persona 5 Royal, finally picking it back up to do my NG+ run and 100% it, including getting all of the endings. It's still one of my favorite games of all time, no matter how many times I play it.
I also just needed to stew on this chapter for a bit. I wanted the first scene to include a Prism lewd, since she was an early capture so it's her 'turn' to get lewded on screen. But… I realized that she just really hasn't had any time in the limelight. Plot has taken precedence and with the choppier nature of the chapters I've been doing, she's continued to mostly just be a footnote. So I decided to scrap the lewd and just focus on her as a character for a little bit. It's not a lot, but I can say I've actually given her some screen time now. Hopefully more will follow, as I can fit it in.
Put more effort into the fight scene than usual. Decided to try to treat it like a smut scene, but man, fight scenes are a lot more complicated than smut scenes. There are so many more options, and the goals are less clear. With smut it's mostly just "members into orifices or other body parts until one or both feel good". Compared to fighting, there are far fewer things that either participant is likely to do, and the goal is nearly always both of them orgasming at least once. With fighting, especially sparring like this, they have a lot more options, their goals are basically just fighting, and my goal as a writer is to showcase Kamina growing in some way. Smut is easy, combat is hard.
