2014.03.22 - Unexpected Morning Encounter

It's that time of day when the sun is only just beginning to creep over the horizon and most sensible people are still abed. A solitary Amazon stands in the training grounds fitting the string to a bow made entirely of metal. The usual attendants are no-where to be seen and a single target has been set up at the extreme range which the training yard can offer. Her bow strung Artemis begins neatly lining up a row of arrows in the ground ready for firing. There is a long pause and then, as the first rays of sunlight touch the target, she bursts into motion. Each arrow slamming into the target with a hefty thwunk sound.
Sensibility is for wimps. Jocelyn usually didn't end up at the embassy in the mornings this early, but she had figured she'd pop by and see what sorts of stuff was going on. Serious students of these arts tended to start their days early. Besides, Jocelyn had found she liked training with a variety of styles, so she made it a point to stop by for a class or spar or something reasonably often. So the redhead had arrived this morning dressed in a plain grey top and a pair of black yoga pants. The woman's moves are naturally quiet, though she's not trying to sneak in either. The place was technically open, even if it appeared that only one woman was here, and happened to be someone Jocelyn hadn't met before. Jocelyn was actually a little surprised by that.
The teen stays quiet for a moment, knowing enough that it was usually best to let one of the Amazonds greet you, plus speaking and disrupting an archer's shot, she knew from experience, was generally considered poor ettiquete at best.
As the last of the arrows leaves her hand Artemis turns to face the newcomer, evidently uninterested in if the arrow strikes true (although it joins the others in the centre marking). "It is a little early to be visiting, no?" she wonders. "Are you here in search of someone specific? If so I maybe unable to assist as I do not yet know the names of my Themysciran sisters." To anyone familiar with the Amazon accent there is something slightly off about the way Artemis talks. "I would ask if you are perhaps seeking sanctuary, but with your manner of approach that does not seem so fitting."
"I am not looking for anybody specific," Jocelyn responds to the woman, making note of the arrow. "While I know it is early, I happen to be an early riser, and sometimes visit the classes. I thought there may be someone in the practice circle this early, as hours are typically quite open here, but perhaps I am a little early". Jocelyn makes no apologies for it. There's nothing to apologize for. "I did not recognize you, so I was unsure if you were new or if simply had not seen you before. My name is Jocelyn". Introductions are typically in order.
Jocelyn can't place the woman's accent. She's not so familiar with the accent that she can tell the regular Amazonian accent and Artemis' apart. "If I have intruded, of course, you have my sincere apologies".
Artemis nods. "My name is Artemis, Shim'Tar Of Bana-Mighdall. And indeed I am new to the embassy," she replies with a smile. "It was only recently decided that my sisters would assist those of Themyscira. You spoke of training, is there anything in particular you seek to learn? I have more than a passing familiarity with all the techniques we practise here. Perhaps I could assist you?"
"A pleasure to meet you Artemis, though forgive me, as I am unfamiliar with the title of Shim'Tar". Jocelyn could figure out that Bana-Mighdall was a place easily enough. "I train primarily in unarmed combat, against armed and unarmed foes". Jocelyn didn't really know much about archery, though she'd like to think she'd be reasonably good at it. It just wasn't a skill that was necessary for her to learn. "If you would favor me with some practice in tht area, it would be a welcome way to greet the morning".
"It translates as 'Chief Warrior'," Artemis explains, turning to return the bow to it's stand. "Unarmed against unarmed seems like it would be most beneficial, as I imagine it is a more common occurrence in the Patriarchs world. I did not see many swords in evidence on my brief excusion outside the Embassy." Bow carefully put away she walks to the edge of the training circle, the motions for Jocelyn to join her. "If that seems acceptable to you?"
"There are rarely swords, but you do run into people who will grab a metal pipe or a wooden baseball bat in a fight. Or a knife, but unarmed deals with that easily enough," Jocelyn says as she moves to step to the circle herself. "It is acceptable to me". The woman makes note of the title. So perhaps her theory was right. A chief warrior would likely be the one up the earliest to practice. She'd warmed up already by jogging over to the Embassay, so she didn't need to spend time stretching at this point.
Artemis rolls her shoulders. "Then shall we begin?" She adopts a balanced stance, arms raised in the traditional Amazonian wrestler style. "So tell me Jocelyn, what is it that you do in the Patriarchs world?" She seems to be waiting for Jocelyn to make the first move, perhaps to guage her skill level?
"I am a student still," Jocelyn says as she steps in, moving forward and towards Artemis. She notes the wrestling style. Given Jocelyn wasn't using her powers, she had little interest in getting into a pure strength-on-strength match with Artemis. That way led to eating dirt fast. Instead, Jocelyn drops down quickly to execute what looks at first appears to be a leg sweep, but the woman instead aborts it halfway. She rises as she does so and brings an axe kick down towards Artemis' shoulder instead, trying to fake the woman out with that sweep. It was a pretty tricky move, but Jocelyn was also gauging Artemis' skill, as Jocelyn was still rather advanced in skill for her age.
Artemis shifts her weight a fraction as Jocelyn feints a leg sweep, but otherwise remains motionless until the transition to the axe kick. The Amazon then sweeps her forearm to knock the kick to one side, following with an open handed strike that darts in aimed at the back of Jocelyns leg. "You are remarkably tall for a student," she notes dryly, while spinnings and lashing out with a leg sweep of her own, although this one isn't a feint. "What are you a student of?"
As her leg is pushed aside and then attacked, Jocelyn keeps the momentum of the push going, pivoting on her other leg so that the strike doesn't do particularly much damage. She lowers her leg just after the leg sweep is executed, hopping up to evade the sweep at the same time, which results in her effectively stepping over it.
The teen steps forward and lets loose an elbow to the woman's midsection. "The education system focuses on general education first, then specifics". She pivots and attempts to use her height to her advantage, reaching over to grab at Artemis' left bicep. "Though I plan to study clean power and energy creation". The latter bit is said as the woman attempts to throw Artemis to the ground, twisting at the waist in an attempt to drop the woman to the dirt.
"That seems most inefficient," Artemis notes, twisting herself to one side so the elbow strike glances off. "In Bana-Mighdall we teach our daughters the specific talents they will require at the same time as they learn more general topics." As Jocelyn grabs her arm Artemis springs forward suddenly, using the attempted throw to aid her forward motion, driving a knee up accompanied by a flurry of light blows from her right fist.
Jocelyn is able to twist a little bit, releasing her grip on the arm, so that the knee only strikes her with part of the force it would normally have. A few of those blows get through, however, and Jocelyn backs off briefly. "If you wish to learn something outside the standard requirements, you must seek it yourself here," Jocelyn explains. It was a different way of doing things. She takes a breath to recover from those hits and moves forward again, this time moving forward and reaching out to try and take hold of Artemis' shoulders, changing her strategy up a little bit this time and going for the grapple match-up.
"One thing I would always recommend," Artemis notes, matching grapple with grapple. "Is never grapple with someone physically stronger than you unless you can maintain a choke of some kind." As if to demonstrate she surges forward using her superior strength to drive Jocelyn back. "What first made you decide to learn martial skills?"
As the expected counter-grapple is made, Jocelyn immediately lets go of her grapple and instead counters with a pair of rising punches to each of the armpits, going for the soft, sensitive area. She knew that the woman was stronger than her, so Jocelyn had to go for the areas that would likely cause the most pain to have a chance. Most people, that strike would probably hit. Against Artemis? Jocelyn had no idea.
She will get driven at least a little bit back, and for a human, she puts up a decent bit of resistance. "Grew up in a neighborhood where if you couldn't fight, you'd probably get killed or worse. So I learned," Jocelyn explains. It's a pretty simple reason. Learn to fight or learn to be a regular victim. Jocelyn didn't like the latter option one bit.
Artemis springs up and leaps clear over Jocelyn and her rising punches. "It strikes me as strange the wider world is so unstable," she notes, continuing the grapple attempt. A grab for the waist and an overhead throw. "Even within a single city people do not seem to be able to attain any kind of unity."
As Jocelyn is grabbed, she feels herself getting lifted up. So as she's thrown over Artemis' head, she attempts to grab the woman's shoulders and fling her even as she's being flung, in a mutual throwing session of sorts. Regardless of if that works, Jocelyn will certainly get thrown farther, and she lands, dropping into a roll before she springs back up to face Artemis.
"Individuality has been pushed far in our country," Jocelyn explains. "It has it's merits, and on the whole the country is unified. But there are still issues, still crime, and those things that have to get dealt with". She slips into a slightly defensive posture as she speaks, not expecting Artemis to stop the attack. She's got some bruises forming, but her clothing, for the most part, covers them.
"In terms of style I believe you already have a very good grounding," Artemis concedes, twisting her shoulders to break the counter throw and launching herself forward with a series of spinning kicks. "There may not be a great deal I could teach you. Although you could definately improve your physical training regime."
Well, Jocelyn had to try the throw! It's not a very high percentage move. The woman smiles. "Well, I think you have a physical advantage I cannot obtain," Jocelyn says. "The strongest woman can lift around five hundred pounds, and I'm in the three hundreds myself". Which is still quite high, for someone of her age. The woman blocks the kicks quickly, stepping back with each one from the sheer force, even though the blocks are indirect they're still causing bruising. "Similar situation for the dexterity, but I'll admit I'm as tough as they come around here, compared to non-powered individuals".
The woman reaches out at one of those kicks and attempts to lift and throw Artemis. It was a little bit of a difficult move, if only because it required a fair amount of strength and skill to actually pull off such a simple move, because there was so much that could go wrong with a throw like that.
As her leg is grabbed Artemis twists and scythes her other leg in a kick to Jocelyns head. "People can always improve if they're willing to train harder," she points out, twisting her kick and the lift and throw attempt into cartwheel around the training circle. "You also display an impressive tolerance for pain. We can pause if you are starting to feel discomfort?"
The kick is ducked, as Jocelyn is reasonably sure she'd get knocked out or possibly killed if that was a full-force kick from this woman. "Agreed, but I don't know if our genetics in this part of the world will allow us to progress past a certain point. I intend to find out though," the woman assures Artemis.
The woman backs off and nods. "I've been feeling discomfort since the first strike you landed on me, but I'll be fine. I'm a quick healer, though a break would be appreciated," Jocelyn admits. She knows she probably hasn't even dinged Artemis' pain threshold yet, but that was alright. "I take it combat training is pushed harder where you are from than it is here. Very few have your level of skill," she compliments the woman.
"I learnt many of my skills... elsewhere," Artemis explains, slipping out of a combat stance. "I suspect you would not believe me if I told you." She shrugs. "You are quite right though. By age ten an Amazon from Bana-Mighdall can march for twelve hours with a full military pack and handle the same variety of weapons that your special forces soldiers utilize."
There is a nod from Jocelyn. "Ask most of the people in our society to just do the march and they'd fall over after the first hour," Jocelyn says with a shake of her head. She takes a drink of water before her phone beeps at her. She looks at it. "I am afraid I'm being called away. Perhaps we will spar again another day. Thank you". And, with that, Jocelyn will take her leave.
Category:Log