A Wolf Needs A Dance Partner [PRIVATE: Yumiko/Solomon]

Indeed, Yumiko was likening their clash to more of a dance than anything else. After all, they weren't striving for the defeat of one another, they were simply sparring and enjoying themselves; measuring the others capabilities in their dance of sword and spear. During their break, Yumiko listened to Solomon keenly, a gentle smile briefly gracing Yumiko's lips as she was complimented upon her technique with a spear. Not to mention, she was glad Solomon was humoring her and was attempting to help Yumiko push her limits in this; something she had asked for in a sense. She smiled gently, carefully spinning her spear and assuming a ready stance, briefly extending a single hand playfully; as if to take Solomon's in an honest dance.

"You may~"

In the briefest of moments before Solomon began his assault, Yumiko withdrew her hand and assumed her ready position once again. With a soundless roar she met Solomon's assault with equal fervor and speed. Even if Yumiko may not be quite as strong as Solomon, she really didn't know how they compared, she still gave it her all in the brief defense she was forced to take. And then, when Solomon provided her with openings created either by a parry, or some other form of avoidance, Yumiko always jabbed at him with a blunt part of her spear, or attempted to whack him with the flat of the blade or the spear's shaft.

With every action, Yumiko attempted to get Solomon to show openings, give her opportunities to strike, but often was it they were so evenly measured that they could only dance around each other as they clashed against one another. Spear against sword, taught skin likely drifting a hairs-breadth together before being torn away by the momentum of their dance. On they fought, on Yumiko strived against Solomon until, with a ferocious kick, she aimed to gain some distance between herself and Solomon. Leaping backwards, Yumiko slid to a sudden halt, hefted her spear, and threw the blade with tremendous force. Of course, while it was not enough to truly harm Solomon, it was certainly enough to give Solomon a bit of a surprise.

In the aftermath, however Solomon dodged and countered, Yumiko's spear would disappear from wherever it had landed and reappear in the woman's right hand. Yumiko's chest showed the obvious effort of their dance, rising and falling with the discordant pace of her breathing; the woman's heart racing within her chest, her gray eyes seemingly trying to calculate Solomon's every potential movement. However, with a small grin, Yumiko could only giggle softly.

"Something tells me our dance may last forever, if not for the limits of our bodies. What do you think, Solomon?"

During the second act of their dance, Solomon's amusement hadn't lessened in the slightest. If anything, their second clash was equally as extraordinary as the first. Spear met blade, the wind heralding their cries as these vaunted constructs of reishi remained steadfast against the other. Similarly, as before, Solomon matched her strike for strike, pressing her backward whenever the opportunity presented itself, retreating whenever it vanished quickly. There was no noticeable flaw in her technique, and that only enhanced his opinion of her spearmanship as their duel progressed.

Solomon expected the sweeping kick to spin through the air, but he was not so privy to the lunge of her spear after avoiding her leg. Even so, his gaze only radiated an air of amusement as the spear danced through the air. To avoid suffering damage, he shot his hand outward, a barrier of electrified reishi roaring to life to divert the weapon off course. The makeshift act still resulted in his hand being pierced ever so slightly, but the damage was negligible at best. Cracking his fingers with a smile, he slowly surveyed the woman's movement as he exchanged dialogue.

"Indeed. We're so evenly matched thus far that I imagine this could go on for hours until both of us are properly exhausted. Though, I must say that olympian-styled throw nearly threw me off my balance. What say we increase our efforts, then? Pursue me as if I were an opponent to be defeated, and I will respond in kind."

Holding his rumbling blade in a defensive stance, he diligently moved forward, purposeful with each step. He did not press the offensive this time, surrendering the offensive flow of their dance to Yumiko. She had earned it, after all.

Even if the effort was showing on Yumiko's form, and likely on Solomon's, the woman was still quite elated. To find an opponent that was her equal, and not one who trumped her with impunity, was a blessing; especially in this world. While they moved in a different way, as they were trained by different people, their dance was a marvelous one. Soon, however, came a proposal that caused Yumiko some slight pause. She tilted her head at Solomon, her silver locks following the movement of her head as she considered his statement. She didn't wish to hurt him... But his proposal was sound. If they didn't come at the other with the intent to win, this spar of theirs would last forever. Yumiko simple stared at Solomon for a bit before she gave him a gentle smile, and a nod.

"Very well. But let's still try to avoid injury. I don't think either of us need to spend the rest of the day in the infirmary."

Yumiko smiled before she settled into a stance, watching Solomon approach in a defensive stance. The woman watched for a few more moments, acknowledging his intent to let her take the initiative. Once more, Yumiko arched her arm back and hurled her spear at Solomon, with a stance reminiscent of her first; maybe not perfect, but her technique was still quite impressive. After Yumiko threw the spear, hoping that Solomon would direct the majority of his attention to the spear that was just hurled at him, Yumiko used a bit of her natural speed, and a clever hirenkyaku to catch up to her spear in the moments before it could hit Solomon.

If Solomon noticed her, he would certainly see her graceful movements, how she seemed to move through the air with ease. While Yumiko was no true valkyrie, nor no true wolf, she would fight like one; tooth and nail, until victory was hers. With a deft motion, Yumiko snatched the spear out of the air and, using her forward momentum, Yumiko delivered a withering strike towards Solomon's right shoulder; the shaft of her spear as the preferred striking point. Of course, adept as Solomon was, he was likely to intercept her strike. However, he would certainly notice the change in Yumiko's bearing. She was much more fierce than before, and her eyes were calculating Solomon's every movement; or at least attempting to. Regardless, she was truly trying to win now.

With another Hirenkyaku, Yumiko would attempt to circumvent any counterattacks Solomon may have for her while Yumiko was airborne by moving behind him now, aiming another strike with her spear; but this time at Solomon's other shoulder. Afterwards, Yumiko would likely begin to exchange a flurry of blows with the man, in the full understanding that, no matter how ferocious, no matter how much she could keep him back with the length of her spear, they had been evenly matched so far. But would that change? Ah, Yumiko was truly desperate to find out just how their dance had evolved now; and how they would strive against the other in order to win.

The third act began in earnest with the prodigious valkyrie's impassioned overture. A fierce prologue to initiate her performance in the form of a spear lancing through the air with unbounded ferocity. His azure gaze was hawklike, reading each coordinate of her body as though attempting to decipher an indescribable cipher. Unbeknownst to Yumiko, Solomon used the remnants of electricity surrounding him to increase his reaction time, each particle filling his vision with supernatural blue.

Performing what could only be described as an unexpected twist in this battle, Solomon threw his sword forward when she sought to reach him with thunderous force. An elongated dagger of reishi formed in his hand as he shot forward to meet her in a fierce clash. He likely expected her to evade his steel blade, a foregone conclusion suiting him just fine.

Solomon had learned to fight in battles without Keraunos as his guide, so little was his worry as the woman roared down upon him with all the ferocity of a graceful wolf that sought to attain victory. He was now disadvantaged, having purposely divested himself of his weapon, and Solomon was expectedly overwhelmed as the vigorous flurry of spear blows, though deflected to a degree, slammed effortlessly across his body.

Here, he found his physical durability tested immensely, gritting his teeth as he carried his body forward, shooting forward in an attempt to seize her spear hand with his unoccupied palm. With his knife hand, he would aim to push her to the ground, and finish the duel then and there. Of course, her evasive form was not so easily captured. It was highly likely she would evade that as well, but as with all gambles, he relied on the simple notion of this - "Nothing ventured, nothing gained."

It seemed that Solomon was full of surprises himself. Instead of meeting her head-on, he threw his sword at Yumiko in order to throw her off her rhythm just long enough to allow him a chance to create a dagger of Reishi, moving to intercept Yumiko. However, it didn't truly throw the wolf off balance, she was trained hard enough by both her mother, and her adoptive grandfather, to let something throw her off. Instead, they met in a flurry of blows and maneuvers intent on settling the fight here and now.

During the connection of one particularly strong attack, Solomon used that opportunity to seize her spear hand. Even if Yumiko lurched out of the way a bit, her innate desire not to harm Solomon with the sharp edges of her weapon lead to her being caught; like a rabbit in a trap. The woman's face briefly contorted in obvious concentration as time seemed to slow for the woman. With a knife coming after her, and the sole intention being to knock her down onto the ground, Yumiko could only find one recourse; to turn the tables. Indeed, her form wasn't so easily captured, and Yumiko was determined to be a wolf, not a rabbit.

Showing that same evasive nature, and swiftness, Yumiko caught Solomon's wrist in her hand, pivoted, twisted, and used Solomon's momentum against him. Dispersing her spear, Yumiko held tight to Solomon's other hand as she aimed to throw the main over herself and onto his own back with enough force to, hopefully, wind him long enough. If so, this allowed her the opportunity to flip over him, trap his other hand between his torso and Yumiko's own leg, pin down his other arm, and, with her free hand, draw a knife hidden within her prosthetics. A knife that she pressed the flat of the blade against Solomon's neck, all the while essentially straddling his stomach and chest. Even if Yumiko was evasive, all the red scratches upon her form, even a small cut on her wrist from Solomon’s reishi knife, was proof of their spar.

Her breathing was heavy from the intensity of their clash, however, if Yumiko was successful, she was proud. Even if she wasn't successful, she was still proud of herself for doing as much as she did. With a small grin, her silver hair laying in a tumble around her head, the drill hanging towards Solomon, she finally spoke to Solomon after what may seem like an eternity to the pair; so entwined in their spar as they were.

"So... Do you yield~?"

"Heh."

The prodigal wolf's strategy was faultless. There was no relative error in her course of action. Solomon's intention was solely predicated on forcing the woman onto the ground. Thus, nearly every moment played out as expected. His strength wasn't nearly so inferior for him to be fully overpowered, but the sudden movement of her frame, and the subsequent reaction time, forced his body to be carried along for the descent toward the ground. From the vantage point of Yumiko, victory was currently within a whisper of conclusion. Solomon's intention was predicated on finishing things with the reishi dagger, after all.

Except that had never been the case.

Though it was true to some degree, precisely because he expected a counter, he threw his sword ahead with the foregone belief that he might find himself countered yet again. Thus, the moment that knife found itself positioned against his throat, Keraunos, the blade evaded moments prior, hurtled through the air, gravitating toward them with lightning-quick movement, using the power of electromagnetism to guide itself toward them from above.

His hand was seized, but his fingers moved as though they had a mind of their own until the blade's flat was positioned solely at Yumiko's back, Keraunos pulsating with electrified reishi at her small form. Even in this precarious position, Solomon offered a warm smile.

"Shall we call it a draw?"

In hindsight, Yumiko should have known it wouldn't be so simple to pin Solomon, threaten him with a knife to his throat, and ask for his surrender. Even if Solomon by, most rights, would have been dead or dying if not for the sake of their mock battle; he still had an ample counter for Yumiko. Even as the flat of Yumiko's knife was pressed against Solomon's vulnerable throat, so too was the flat of Solomon's sword soon pressed against her vulnerable back with an ominous crackle. The way Yumiko tensed as she felt the cold steel through her shirt, and likely on some of her exposed skin, an involuntary shiver running through her spine. Mutually assured destruction... It was a clever ploy, to throw his sword and then manipulate it from a distance once he threw it. Yumiko resolved that she needed to learn something similar; if she couldn't do so already. Regardless, with a resigned sigh, barely moving thanks to the sharp blade that was pressed threateningly against her back, Yumiko couldn't help admit that their spar had come to a draw.

"Hard to refuse with the situation we are in... Yes, let's call it a draw. Now, then, unless you want to stay like this, could you please move your sword? I don't want my legs to cramp."

Yumiko's legs were in a bit of an odd position to help restrain Solomon's body and arms after all and, no matter the capabilities of her prosthetics, she would prefer not to overstress her legs. Once Solomon had removed his sword, Yumiko mimicked that action by removing her knife; which she stowed within her prosthetics again. With a gentle hand, Yumiko brushed off her back on an impulse, that feeling of a bare blade upon her back still lingered. Afterwards, she extended her hand towards Solomon, intending to help him up. With a warm smile, Yumiko would do just that when Solomon was ready, and if he was accepting of her helping hand.

"So... What now? I think more sparring would be detrimental... We make more mistakes when tired, after all."

Truly, Yumiko was asking what he wished to do now. Normally, Yumiko would towel off a bit, take a nice hot shower to relieve her body of the sweat and grime of such an activity, and clean her prosthetics so they didn't smell. But, aside from that, she was open to suggestions. After all, they had a nice time with their spar, surely they could continue to have a good time for now.

"Though I do admit the view is lovely, and the position far from uncomfortable, I welcome rising to my own two feet again just as much."

Conceding a draw to a warrior of her mettle was a welcome outcome. He hadn't intended to overwhelm or treat this duel as some battle to death, after all. His spirits were exceedingly high after the confrontation. Using his hand as a guide, he controlled the trajectory of his blade until it eventually vanished into a wave of electrified reishi.

Receiving her assistance as she pulled him from the ground, Solomon smiled warmly. His body wasn't filled full of holes, to be certain, but the welts and bruises were nothing to scoff at, either. To him, though? They were proof of a battle well-fought.

"Continued sparring would only produce sloppy results. I won't deny that. Therefore, why not continue our company elsewhere? I hear they serve fine food in the concession stands a few paces away from here. It'll be my treat. Consider it a reward for a hard-fought battle."

Indeed, while neither of their wounds were particularly severe, they were still nothing to scoff at. However, to say that they were souvenirs of a battle well fought... that was quite true. After all, it was brief evidence of their first encounter. While Yumiko didn't have as many welts or bruises, since Solomon's weapon was more prone to cutting, she still considered a few wounds worth giving some attention; otherwise, however? They would be fine on their own otherwise. Not to mention, Yumiko did catch Solomon's momentary flirtatious comment and her cheeks burned a gentle pink in the moments in which she had walked away towards where her bag was; where her spare clothes and other such things were. Truly... she had no idea how to properly deal with someone flirting with her. Was she to flirt back? Sure it made her warm and fuzzy inside to know that a man seemed to find her appealing enough to say such a thing; but she had little idea how to react to it. So, she chose to accept it in cool silence and hope Solomon wouldn't take offense.

After Yumiko worked on toweling off her exposed body parts, and tending to the cut upon her wrist, which was really the only cut that wasn't just a flesh-wound or a scratch, Yumiko gestured to the rear of the area; where there were showers and such things, split between genders. She was considering Solomon's offer, and was more than willing to accept. However... She would prefer to wash the sweat from her body so she wouldn't smell unpleasant.

"That sounds like a good idea, Solomon... Thank you. But, I need to wash myself first. I'll try not to take long, would you please wait for me?"

After Yumiko got the reassurance that he would wait, and she knew for certain that he wouldn't just leave and dash a young woman's hopes, Yumiko would turn around and enter the locker room and shower area. Once within, Yumiko found the most private area, locked it up so only she could be in there, and began the arduous process of first removing, and then beginning the arduous process of removing, and then cleaning, her prosthetics. Working hard, and fast, the young Quincy was able to swiftly remove the grim and smell from her prosthetics before she moved to divest her form of clothing, clean herself in the embrace of hot water, and especially pay close attention to her legs; weak as they were, she needed time.

However, before long, Yumiko emerged from her cleaning reprieve in fresh clothes, leggings, a T-shirt, her hair properly dry and put into a drill once more, and her ever-present prosthetics that supported her otherwise weak legs. Once she emerged, the young Quincy searched the area for Solomon or waited for him as the case may be; hoping that she wouldn't be left just because she took a little longer than most people in such a situation.

"Gladly. Take as much time as you well need, Yumiko."

The silver woman's worries were unfounded. Solomon was a gentleman at his core. Possessed of limitless patience that endeared him to several men and women, he was easily the sort who would endure hours of waiting to ensure his friends were properly cared for.

The reward offering was his idea, after all. A kindhearted gesture to celebrate a noteworthy duel. Thus, he waited. Lounging against a chair, he passed the hours toying with electrified reishi, randomly shooting his finger at imaginary targets.

When her preparations were finished, Yumiko's search promptly concluded the moment she found him sitting on one of the chairs in the training room. His tall form easily recognizable among the many seats, Solomon waved in the woman's general direction to capture her attention.

"Took you long enough," he humored, a playful grin dancing across his pleasant features.