Friday Night Fisticuffs [Makoto, Shishiyuki]

Next lesson, Makoto stood around the empty training room. It was getting about that time in the evening where they caught up. Makoto idly stood while staring down at her fingers. She was still repeating those same exercises, feeling a lot more secure after having it shown to her by Shishiyuki.

It wasn't that her teacher was running late, if anything she was early. Makoto always tended to arrive early and with her medical leave it was natural that she didn't have anything else to distract her from showing up this early.

"Wonder what she has for me today."

She asked herself while moving her spiritual energy through her fingers, given her focus it wasn't really hard for Shishiyuki to sneak up on her. Even if she didn't try to do it.

"Dark hair... The whole kido on her skin to, she wouldn't be her. The aura I suppose, she's good at hiding her intention... Ugh, It doesn't make sense."

Shishiyuki, of course, was not one to show up early or late, and she was unsurprised to see that Makoto was already present in the classroom as she arrived. This woman was quite driven, wasn't she? It was admirable, though she could certainly see how this had led to an enforced medical leave. Waiting for what seemed like an opportune moment to interrupt, Shishiyuki made just enough noise to inform Makoto of her presence. After all, it would be poor form to cause potential harm simply to catch her attention.

"Good evening, Miss Arima. It is good to see you so focused on your studies."

She meant that quite genuinely, of course, even if it may have seemed condescending in many contexts. Shishiyuki was not one for the intricate nonsense of noble etiquette and the like, and she would always say exactly what she meant in these lessons.

She kept on mumbling to herself all through the process of doing her routine, it had become quite comfortable to do. Even if before her fingers would occasionally tingle and feel numb or sore, she liked to take it as her body adjusting or her technique improving. Both were results that pleased her so whichever it was did not bother her. They were both positive outcomes.

"Hmm?"

Makoto dropped her hands down to her sides while nodding. It was both a greeting and acknowledgement to her statement. Of course she'd be focused on her studies, aside from the odd visit.. check up, she got from Abalia the days got quite boring. She spent them rummaging through old files which only she really cared about.

"Of course, Lady Shishiyuki."

Reaching behind her to put her palms against the wall and push herself off from the leaning position, she diligently waited for her teacher to continue.

"I take it you have become suitably adept in controlling the flow of energy to your fingers, if you are willing to engage in it alone before our class. That is good, you are learning well."

Nodding herself in a faint congratulatory gesture, Shishiyuki set down her bag and took a seat, gesturing to the other chair opposite her. While she certainly would have enjoyed moving directly into the physical practice of their lessons, it would be a bit pointless to do so, given the scope of what they were learning.

"How familiar are you with using your own energy to interrupt or alter the flow of another's? Not in an outward manner such as kido or the like, but rather by using the influence of your own energy's flow to cause a shift in your opponent's body? This is quite key to more advanced hakuda practice, as a good deal of its effects are simply not feasible through merely our own body's energy."

Doing as she was told Makoto took a seat opposite Shishiyuki. Her eyes wandered over the woman's frame, just thinking to herself while taking in her question. Could she do something like that? She clearly meant spiritual energy, at least what Makoto had to assume. Certain hakuda techniques she could, to some degree which might meet that criteria to be complete or perfect.

"I can perform Tessho.. Well, I can empower my strike like that. It's not that technical though and mostly just raw power. There's no finesse in it."

She did a drawn out way of saying no, she thought. Maybe it would be worth some merit but she could not be sure.

"I don't think that's what you mean though."

"Tessho is not terribly dissimilar, though it is indeed only raw empowerment. These techniques require you extend that manipulation into the body of others, interfering with their own spiritual energy."

Steepling her fingers as she spoke, Shishiyuki figured that this would be a bit more involved of a conversation than the relatively simple explanation of closing off one's spiritual flow.

"Consider that this empowerment of your body involves the movement of your spiritual energy, and that you must move it forward, through your extremities, to achieve this effect. Now, consider that the flow of your spiritual energy is not intrinsically limited to merely being within your own body. After all, that is much of what is achieved through kido. The difference between kido and these advanced techniques are that the flow of energy is ultimately still returned to your own body. It is not expulsion of energy, merely the brief outward manipulation of it."

Holding up one finger, Shishiyuki focused for a brief moment, the tip of her finger glowing just the faintest touch.

"This is what allows masters of the art to annihilate a foe even without the use of direct force. There is no need for strength behind a blow when the opponent's own body works against them, yes? You know already the devastation that the body can face when the flow of energy is altered without warning."

She cocked her head thoughtfully, it sure sounded sinister when she explained the nature of her fighting style. The implications were not lost on her and her studies into a person's body. Makoto never fell asleep in those classes, it was important to understand how the body and spiritual system worked in relation to one another.

"I understand."

Makoto followed where she was going with this but she had been left without instructions of where this was going. So she decided to press and try and follow where this lesson was leading.

"How do you intend for me to grasp the flow of another person's spiritual energy flow? Couldn't a person restrict or alter their flow to resist my influence? I can't say I've really tried to grasp other people's nuances with matters like these."

"We will reach that point in due time, but for now, simply learning to extend the flow of your energy outside of your body will take up more than enough of our lesson plan. It quite difficult, and will require that you apply the previous understanding we have built up of restricting and controlling your flow of energy."

Ending the extension of energy from her own finger, Shishiyuki held out a hand toward Makoto, palm facing upright almost expectantly.

"Place your hand in mine, if you would, with a single finger held upward. Any will do, so I would advise you choose the one with which you are the most comfortable."

"Alright, if you insist."

She reached out and put her hand against Shishiyuki's. Makoto got acquainted with the feel of it, still felt strange being in close proximity like this. When her hand was settled she stuck out her index finger to get herself prepared for what came next. If she interpreted it right, she was meant to expel her energy into Shishiyuki and then return it back to herself. That would be presumptuous to do though and Makoto wasn't going to risk injury or wrath over a stupid guess.

"How's this?"

Maybe she should clarify if she was doing it right, just to be sure.

"That is good. Now, simply focus on the flow of energy through that finger, and constrict it as you have learned. However, when doing this, focus on not only slowing it, but on slowly pressing it toward, such that the arc of the flow extends beyond the tip of your finger. Do not worry if the energy flows into my arm, as I am fully capable of handling such an intrusion. Simply do your best, and do be cautious."

Indeed, Shishiyuki had already focused on the whole of her own arm, such that any significant interference from a potential mishap on Makoto's behalf would merely lead to a gentle rebuffing. While it was not normally in her nature to be so kind, she found that Makoto had merited a bit of earnest assistance rather than the harsh, absolute sort of teaching that Shishiyuki herself had received.