1137/How do you solve a problem like Shiva

How do you solve a problem like Shiva
Date of Scene:	13 April 2020
Location:	Chikara Dojo
Synopsis:	Colleen teaches Alexander what to expect from Shiva.
Cast of Characters:	Alexander Aaron, Colleen Wing

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Alexander Aaron has posed:
    It is difficult to know how to prepare when one does not feel fear. When an individual does not have that subtle sense of danger ever present in the back of their thoughts, does not have that hint of self-preservation plaguing their movements, it can at times be difficult to entirely grasp the ramification of actions or their repercussions. Such is how it is with the young man known as Alexander Aaron. With how he knows on some level... that this should concern him. And yet...
    But it did lead him to talk to some acquaintances, to get a feeling for the woman known as Lady Shiva and what she stood for. To talk to some that he thought might be in the know... only for them to give him nothing. Or to refuse to speak on the matter. Until an acquaintance had told him...
    'I don't know, myself. But the people who run Chikara Dojo... they're pretty into the scene. Go ask them.'
    And with a day left, perhaps little more, the young Olympian had made his way across town riding the subway. Getting out and climbing the steps to the Chinatown stop. His hands deep in the pockets of his blue jeans and his head tilted curiously at the sign above.
    The hour was bad. Early. But then again sometimes martial artists keep odd hours. He drew up short beneath that sign and pondered it, pondered the door. He looked a little out of place in his somewhat baggy clothes, and that hair that's wild and could use a good combing. But he decided why not...
    And then there was a pounding on the front door. And if it was unlocked perhaps the sound of it opening.

Colleen Wing has posed:
Early morning. She typically was an early morning person, up with the sun and training before her classes started. However, this morning was a bit different, she had decided to sleep in. Could it be that the night before she had spent at the cage arena doing what she could to make enough for this month's rent? The banging on the door startles her from her light sleeping slumber. A quick look at her clock and a deep sigh was taken. "Classes don't start for another hour." Nevertheless, she exhaled and moved to exit her living quarters and into the main room of the dojo, her barefeet padding her way across the softened floor pad. There is a pause at the door and she peers through the tiny peephole, a brow raising on who is on the other side; someone she does not know.

A small step to a side rack and a smaller katana type blade is taken, tucked off to the side behind the door as she slowly opens it. She looks like hell. I mean what can one expect of a young woman who has just woken up. Hair a tossled mess, eyes have lidded and a good sized bruise on the side of her right cheek accompanied by frssh cut on her lip. She blinks twice and offers a smile one could easily deem sarcastic and totally forced. "Can I help you? Classes start in an hour. There should be room. You are here for a class arn't you?" She stares at the man before her a moment, head tilted to the side, a strand of hair going before her eye."

She raises a finger to touch her lip absent mindedly, apparently forgetting it was there. "Is it bad?" Her attitude seemingly changing and leaning her face a little closer to him."

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    The blond outside her door, on the other hand, has that bright-eyed vibrant look that only the truly young have. That look that seems to speak of late nights that drift into early mornings without having to have any of that troublesome sleep in the middle. And when he meets her gaze, she'll see those curious hazel eyes. A pale blue color in those irises that drift to a deep jade green in the interior, eerie in some ways. And yet the smile, it might be considered disarming.
    "Hey. Umm. Sorta?" He answers that question she first offers, his left eyebrow lifting. At a glance he blends in with the denizens of New York, what with those sneakers, the rough blue jeans a size or two too large, and that over-sized black t-shirt that has the words on it, 'I Escaped Arkham Asylum and All I Got Was This Lousy T-Shirt'. So staggeringly normal. Except those eyes, and to be fair the handsome features that he takes some measure to hide.
    "I..." He starts to say something, but then she asks her second question about if her wounds are bad and his lips curve a little wry, the initial impulse in his body language that she can read, that yes. It's bad.
    So he lies, "Nah, not that bad. I mean. I've seen worse." There, that should serve.
    Then he adds, "I umm, was hoping to speak to the master of the dojo? Would that be you, ma'am?" Oh no, she's a ma'am.

Colleen Wing has posed:
He is not going to go away is he? Nope, coffee will have to wait. The young woman blinks again softly murmurs. "That's me." There is a visual sigh and she opens the door more fully, a hand gesturing him in. "Come in. Take youer shoes off. I assume you know dojo protocol? I mean you did find the place." The dojo itself is nothing spectaculaer to look at, a simple room with a padded floor, the only windows on the far side of the room, looking out onto the streets below. Squre wooden columns extend down the middle, a "Y" beam formation at the top where they meet the cieling. The lower half of the walls are a dark green slatted wood, giving way to a pale yellow on the upper portion. All around the dojo are wall and floor racks with various weaponry upon them. One of the beams has been fashioned into a punching and kicking training post of sort.
"It's not much, but it works. Don't let the appearance fool you. It has what it needs." She turns around, looking to the young man and offers a half smile, this time genuine. "Look about...give me one sec to tame this mess." She disappears behind a sliding door and when she returns her hair is in a loose fitting ponytail. However, she still has on a white tank top and a pair of black sleepy pants. "So what is it? I know, you saw my flyers about town. Wanted a free trial class. You look teachable. I mean at least outwardly."

Barefeet walk back up to the young man, a head tilted once more. "My time is valuable.."

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    Indeed even as they move in and perhaps a bare moment before she says anything he's already pushing a fingertip into the heel of his shoe and pulling the left free, then the right, leaving them there and then setting his ESU backpack down upon it. His footsteps are silent on that soft padding, the subtle shift of his movements give just a faint whisper of air compressed under that fabric.
    Slowly he looks around the room, taking in a deep breath, inhaling that subtle scent of effort and exertion from all the people who have bled and sweat in the dojo. His curious eyes flow over the layout of the place and the way he looks it over... she might get the feeling he is no stranger to such places.
    Then he looks back to her once she returns, his smile a small wry thing as she tells him he's teachable, "I umm, actually had some questions I'd like to ask you."
    Oh no, maybe he's a reporter?
    But the way he stands, those callouses upon his knuckles and feet, that subtle feeling of 'chi' that she might sense from him, he is a warrior, a fighter, despite the friendly manner. It's there in the glimmer of those devil's own eyes, and that saintly smile. "I've gotten myself into a thing. And I was told you might know a little about the person I'm supposed to match against."

Colleen Wing has posed:
The man now is given a full assessment. Perhaps he is a fighter. Perhaps he actually mauy know what he is doing. Her eyes scan him quickly and she runs a hand over the back of her neck slowly. "Gotten yourself into a thing? Well you have come to thr right place then. I am the Queen of /gotten yourself into a thing/." Her eyes narrow and she looks him over once more. "I know a lot about a lot of people..." There is a pause and she blinks again. " And you are?" It dawns on her that she has completely forgone introductions." She extends her hand to him. "Colleen Wing. This is my dojo. Welcome."

That was a fly by greeting to say the least and she continues. "So let me recap here. The brain is not exactly firing on all cylinders right now. You have gotten yourself into a thing, a thing that has required you to match up against a particular opponent and you think I...I have information about said oppoenent that might assist you?" She points a finger at him and smirks. "You my friend must have gotten yourself into a ton of shit. I ma am dying to know more. No really I am. Please continue." She waves a hand in a rolling fashion as if to express her desire for him to explain more."

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    A small smirk flickers over his features as he looks way and there might even be a touch of a flush to the tips of his ears on that pale flesh of his. He shakes his head and looks back at her, "Alex. Or Alexander. Aaron. Alexander Aaron. Is me." He offers lightly and takes her hand for a handshake, not aggressive but firm and business-like, three pumps and then done. Though his touch might seem a little warm compared to most.
    "So I was in Gotham." He folds his arms over his chest and shifts his weight to the side. A closer look now and she might see small tell-tale hints about the youth. The line of musculature in his neck, the way when his arms fold the t-shirt doesn't quite disguise the lines of his physique quite as well. For some reason he must dress to hide aspects of himself. Whatever the reason.
    "Orientation for a school thing. But I took a walk and found a place that was... interesting. People fighting and betting. And I met someone there who was, rather polite and seemed nice."
    He scrunches up one eye as he looks to the side, then back at her, "But she challenged me to a fight. And, I've trained for a good part of my life. So I'm not exactly a stranger to the culture, right? But afterward people were surprised about my handling of it. And they told me I was brave and such. Her name was Shiva, and she has a reputation there. But I haven't heard of it before."

Colleen Wing has posed:
She listened intently, watching him just as intently. She genuinely seemed interested in his story. There was something intriguing about the young man before her. Then the name Shiva is mentioned and she laughs slightly, shaking her head. She turns away from him and starts pacing a bit on the dojo floor, she starts to speak and then stops, starts again and stops yet again. It would seem she is searching for her words.
After a moment she finally does speak, her words seemingly pulled from her. "Let me get this straight. Holy shit. You...you...went on a schjool trip. Wandered off. Found an illegal fight club. Met Lady Shiva. /THE/ Lady Shiva and managed to accept a fight in which she challenged you?"

A hand goes to pinch the bridge of her nose and she exhales slowly. "Wow. Okay. My first advice would be not to fight her at all. However, due to honor and all that...I am thinking that simply is not an option at this point. You already accepted." Her steps take her over to him and she rests a hand on his shoulder. "Were rules set? Knock out? Tap out? Death?" It appears she knows the shady ring fighting world quite well."
"I know of her. Would I fight her? Money is not worth it...well I mean I suppose it could be." She walks back over to him and nods once. "If you have no way out of this...I can help you. To a point. At the end of the day it's your face she is gunna hit."

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    "Well," She'll see him look away, his head tilting a little to the side as he perhaps tries to alter her perception of the flow of events, "Wasn't a 'school' trip, more I was going to look arond GSU as a favor to a friend. And ok there was a tour, but yeah."
    As if that's the point of order he should be taking exception with.
    But then he looks back at her and nods in agreement, "That's sort of it though. I went to a bar at first, and asked around if anything interesting was going on and that led me to The Pagan, which was where they had the event. And I was watching the fight, and she seemed interesting so I talked to her."
    He shrugs bonelessly as if this sort of thing happened every other day for him. "But yes, and no terms, she just said a match." The youth smiles at her and says, "I didn't get the vibe she intends to kill me, but apparently that doesn't mean much with her since she follows her whims?"
    That said he walks to the side a little and looks over the room, pausing near that shaolin wooden man approximation and casually lightly popping it with a casual right cross at a quarter speed, but then he turns to look back at her. "But I was more looking for information, but if you'd like to spar some that might help too if you had some insight."

Colleen Wing has posed:
"A match? Well, I do not think she itends to kill you. SHe is too skilled to have it happen on accident." Her eyes follow him as he walks around her dojo, allowing him to explore. "She is surgical Alexander. Nothing she does is careless. Every motion is calculated and planned despite the speed of the fight. She will make you think you are in control, only to turn the match on its head when /she/ deems it time."
She too starts to walk about the dojo, no particular direction, hands folded behind her back. "It is as if she knows what you are going to do before you do it. Her defense is extraordinary and that is how she frustrates you until you make a mistake. To even have a chance you would have to throw her off her game, break her focus somehow. If that even can be done." She walks over to where the young man stands and extends a hand to the practice dummy. "And the big question is, do you even have the skill to get through ten seconds with her?" She nods once and exhales a long breath. "Yes, let's see what you can do. That will help me decide if you are going to have to check on your medical insurance coverage or not."

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    Standing there beside the training dummy, he rests a hand on its shoulder and nods to her, "I would be appreciative of any insight you could offer, sensei." Offering her title for the first time, he gives a nod as he turns to consider the room and then looks back at her, meeting her brown-eyed gaze with that same small smile.
    A step back, then he turns to move out onto the mats, footsteps light, but then he pauses and looks back across the way to her.
    "Should I change or will these clothes suffice? I didn't bring a gi," A pause, "Or sweats, now that I think of it. I perhaps should have."
    But after he says that he looks back to her and lightly digs a toe into the surface of the mats, as if gauging how soft they are or the depth they run, how it might affect movement and compensation.

Colleen Wing has posed:
They are really going to do this. Nothing like an early morning sparring session after a late night of having your face hit. "Those clothes will suffice. I mean how hard are we going here?" She too turns away from the sparring dummy and moves to face him, putting herself in a defensive stance, legs slightly seperated with one in front of the other and her hands before her. "I am only going to counter..."
A small wink is given and she gestures with her hand for him to /come at her/. "Now, first things first...try your best not to telgraph what you are going to do. She will pick up on it...I might. Try to hit me, don't worry I won't break."

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    The young man's head bobs with a nod as he agrees with her words, then he looks across the way as he tells her, "Please don't feel you need to hold back with me." For some reason he seems relatively sure of it, one way or another as he squares up opposite of her.
    He again lightly digs his toe into the mat and then turns his hips to settle smoothly into a defensive posture, one leg in her direction, the other turned subtly and supporting his weight, center of gravity lowered. His hands cross in front of him then snap out sharply as he flows smoothly into full readiness, like water poured into the shape of a man. One hand is open and held out towards her, the other is closed into a fist and held low at his hip.
    But it's those eyes that might give a second thought, the focus, the intensity. What the Japanese call 'Killing Intent', how one warrior faces another with the reality that what they do is dangerous. And they must make peace with it. She is likely familiar with it herself.
    There's a time as they focus on each other. Their breathing steadies, evens out, synchronizes. And then suddenly he is moving.
    A soft thap-thap-thap of steps upon those soft mats as he closes in, then there's a blur of motion as his leg lifts, chambers, strikes low toward her shin as the first strike aimed to lead into a series of blurringly fast punches aimed to test her defenses and ending with a flash of motion as a backfist snaps toward her jaw.

Colleen Wing has posed:
That moment of tension before things begin, that time when focus is centered and the only thing that matters is the adversary before you; this is what she is feeling, but has experienced so many times before. Slowly she seems to match his steps in a mirrored manner, his steps left matched by hers to the right, keeping her before him. Patiently she waits for the snake to strike, eyes narrowed with a slight smile on her lips. "Well well, you do know something." Her comment to his given stance.
It is quite clear when he does attack that he knows what he is doing, her eyes widening in obvious surprise as she tries to counter his assault. The low kick to the shin is met by a shift of her weight to her other leg, raising the targeted leg into the air and pivoting into a quick spin. It is then when she comes back around that the fury of punches at her torso are thrown and her own hands and arms react in a series of well-performed parries and deflections, thwarting the intedned targets. The backfist is met with a head tilt to the side and an arm raising inwardly to brush his forearm away.

She springs backwards and resetts, her brow raising and taking an audible breath. "Impressive. You /do/ know something. You may actually last long enough to not piss of the crowd." She resets and nods. "Nice. Not too telegraphed. That will be key. You are going to have to try your very best to give her nothing. She will use it."
"Now let us see your defense?" She creeps forward, hand extended before her, both in a claw grasp. A fury of three quick punches are thrown, but they are all pulled prior to engaging, followed by a quick sweeping motion forward on a planted hand, as she swings her leg up in a low rising roundhouse towards his head.

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    The way he handles himself with an opponent is nothing like how he handles himself socially. Gone is that casual calm and smiling manner, replaced as it is with such intent and focus, for perhaps he was instructed that an opponent is worth that, and especially an instructor. So as she springs back and readies, his smile is there but it's briefly lived as he redoubles and sets.
    And in this moment she can get a better feel for him. Can see the tension in the lines of his strong arms, the subtle flare of the shirt and the rush of movement playing the sleeves up his arms, biceps hard and firm. The t-shirt had whipped around as he moved, revealing hard abs and obliques that look strong enough to grate cheese on. And when she had made those blocks needed, the jolt up her arm was intense.
    But then she crept forward and she took the tiger-claw stance, unleashing in a blur of movement that forced him onto his back leg. She moved in cleanly, and felt each impact as he made the needed blocks, slipped her strike to the side with a circular motion of one arm, and when she came up for that roundhouse...
    Suddenly she felt a strong arm over her leg and then a heavy rush of air as the world was upended, and suddenly they were both on the mats, him behind her as he pulls that leg up with his knee dug behind hers, pulling on the top of her foot to threaten dislocation of that ankle. But not painful. Not yet at least.
    She'll just feel the staggering heat and weight of him, and then the brush of breath across the shell of her ear as he murmurs, "You don't have to hold back with me, sensei." His lip twitches and she might not see the smile there, but she'll definitely hear it in his words.
    "Otherwise you won't teach me a thing." Oh that jerk.

Colleen Wing has posed:
Suprised? Absolutley. Colleen was someone who usually prided herself on being able to determine what she was up against prior to engaging in combat, but truth be told, she did not see that coming. The young woman find herself on the mat, something that rarely happens and to make matters worse her leg is trapped and her ankle in a position she knows could get worse if he so chose to. "Oh I won't."
She has been in this position before strangely enough and it is not a position she wishes to be in for to long. Time to get out before the pain begins. The young Sensei puts herself into a push up position, rising her upper half off the matt and freeing her other leg to move a bit; a snapping heel strike much like a donkey kick is sent towards him arcing over the trapped knee attempting to catch him off guard and needing to break the hold to defend it.

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    She'll feel that mule kick hit firm into his side, enough that it inspires him to roll off of her and away, planting a hand and pushing himself to his feet in the same spin of movement, wincing as he moves. When he finishes rising he turns to face her, hands brought up and in line as he makes ready.
    Though he does drop stance for a moment as he murmurs, "You're very good." As if he was some great judge of such matters even as he meets her eyes again and readies.
    "I like that you seem at ease with melding multiple styles together." A thoughtful comment even in that moment, once she gains her feet, he steps back towards her. A little slower than before, perhaps cautious as if seeing how she'll defend, he draws a leg up and lashes out with the knife's edge of his foot at her mid-section, before following up with planting that kicking leg and striking forth with the knee of the other leg, trying to keep her on her back foot.

Colleen Wing has posed:
Freedom. She was hoping it would work, afterall both his hands were engaged on her ankle. As soon as she is free, she scrambles to her feet, living by the belief that being on the ground is never a good thing. She takes a deep breath, trying to catch it again and assumes another defensive position, all her weight on her back foot and her having both her hands extended before her. "You never know what you are going to face, to rely on one form will get you killed. Each has it's advantages and blending them make one unpredict...."
She cannot finish her words as the attack comes in again. A little voice in the back of her head has always told her that the best defense is to not be there. Pivot right. The foot sails past. Pivot left and she finds herself beside him. She half spins back in front of him and drives her own knee upwards and her hans move to his shoulder blades, launching herself upwards and wrapping her other leg across his neck.

The result: He would find his arm trapped as her body weight pulls them both to the mat, Alexander finding himself in an arm bar with her arms and legs (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pnqDP-jHZZc) *see 20 second mark.* She lightly applies pressure.

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    It's a smooth execution, the blend of their movements together might well seem choreographed from an observer from afar. How she quickly interweaves her movement around him, slipping out of the way of each strike, then dodging that knee. It leaves her to the side when she steps in, grasps his shoulders /firmly/ and then lifts her weight in that acrobatic twist while seizing his arm.
    And suddenly it's his turn to feel the shift of weight and the twist that takes him down onto the mats roughly, as the lithe young woman clenches her leg and locks that arm against her thigh and groin, even as she presses down with one leg upon his chest and the other over his throat.
    She's still straining to lock the arm down when she'll feel his arm tense, and he's /strong/ she'll have to really work to get that arm fully extended. For an instant she'll see his eyes, tensed and scowling as he bites his lower lip to focus, only for her calf to press against his throat to lock him down against the mats when she gets his arm extended.
    No tap, not yet at least.

Colleen Wing has posed:
She is straining. He is much stronger than she assessed him to be and locking him in is proving a bit more difficult than she anticpated. However, she waits on an inahle when his chest is compressed and tightens it in, extending the arm and locking her legs tighter. "She won't let you out of a hold like this Alexander. She will tighten like a snake until you tap. Are you going to tap? More pressure is applied to the arm. "The longer you wait the more long term damage..." SHe is not looking to break his arm, but the pressure has tightened. "You tap or you find a way out. Find a way out Alexander. There is no healing a bruised ego after tapping to a 120 pound girl." Is she taunting him?

Her back arches a bit, applying more pressure. "Can you see her prancing around your prone body after you tap? The crowd cheering her name at your expense? Can you? Let me hear that hand hit the mat Alex. You seem like a quitter to me." She clearly is testing his resolve.

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    "Well," She can hear the grunt torn from him as she tightens that hold and there's that /feeling/ of the joint hyper-extending slowly, the give of tendons and muscles as she starts to feel her leverage play havoc upon his flesh. But he scowls and she'll hear his voice again when he murmurs, "There's not gonna be a crowd, I think."
    And as he says that his bare foot slides softly over the mats as he gains a little bit of leverage. Then it all happens so fast it might be hard for her to realize exactly what it was until they're up and moving again. But at first there's a /stab/ of intense agony into the pressure point in the inside of her thigh, stiffened fingers striking sharply with a loud, "SEI!" Shouted, enough to cause that sudden blaze of distraction as he kicks up with a knee to /slam/ hard into the side of her leg and shift the angle entirely so she's not longer able to get leverage, her legs slipping off and above as he ducks underneath and abruptly she's on her side with him rising up and a knee planted on her side as he pulls back and _rolls_ away, forcing himself back to his feet with her away from him, rolling that shoulder and wincing a little.
    No return rejoinder is given, he just scowls and then retakes his stance, this time he gestures for her to come and get him. If she can.

Colleen Wing has posed:
Well that hurt. A pressure point to her thigh and that knee to her side has he retreating. There are a few blinks as a hand goes to her side and she continues to hold it. "Well done." Her words seemed forced as she tries to shake off the blow. She visibly winces and tries to take a deep breath to get the wind back into her. Hands raised before her she nods once more. "I felt that in my toes. Jesus."
She slowly starts to circle pad her way across the mat. Then she strikes. Tho the strike is certainly not traditional, using her environment to assist her. Running towards the wall she extends a leg, leaping at the wall and springing off it in a spinning twist, swinging her other leg in a sweeping arc towards Alexander, coming at him from a different angle and risking it all to do so.

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    It gives her height and momentum as he had tracked and moved with her. Too close to get clear, she'll feel the line of her long leg /slam/ hard into his raised guard. Not enough to hit cleanly, likely hard enough to leave some damned dark bruises later, she might think. But it's definitely enough to break up the rhythm when two artists clash. That leap and then the follow up movements bring her close to him and force him onto his back foot, defending the following techniques as she strikes quickly.
    For a time it's this rapid-fire give and take, like a sticky hands exercise between two Shaolin practitioners, only when one of them makes a mistake there's a short /crack/ and a wince, and with him on his back foot he's doing more of the wincing.
    But then they both twist, seemingly at the same moment, spinning around and then their fists blurring out toward each other and /slamming/ hard together. Each of their strikes a mirror of the other, each of their wrists now hard against the back of the other's. It's picture perfect, both of them in stance, standing there with the back of his hand against hers, their bodies straining as each tries to overpower the other.
    For a moment a soft 'heh' slips from him as he then moistens his lips with the tip of his tongue, then nods to her. "I think you're not holding back much anymore."

Colleen Wing has posed:
She certainly is not holding back, the strike from the wall shows that. In fact, that little knee to her kidney's kind of pissed her off. It is a flurry of punches and retorts, evasions and blocks as each of them try and get the upper hand. A choreographed dance that both of them seem to have mastered. However, years of discipline have taught her not to get frustrated, so her compusure is contained.
"You think she is going to hold back? Her pride and reputation won't let her." It is clear she is a tad bit winded, but is not about to let up. She then rushes forward without hesitation and at the last second slides, coming in low and striking he top leg upwards at his stomach, trying to catch him off guard at where the attack was coming from. However, in doing so she has left herself prone; calculated risk.

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    She rushes in and for a moment she might be entirely pleased with herself when she feels that bare foot connect /hard/ with him, the jolt back up her leg a powerful thing that might almost bring that blast of exultation, of victory...
    Only for her to realize she struck that lowered guard and instantly would feel his knee connecting with the side of her thigh as he shifts the other knee down to her side and twists. And once again they hit the mats, only this time he's behind her, and she'll feel the strength of one arm slithering around her neck as he tries to lock in the choke, to pull her hard against his chest as he tries to get that other arm in place to link them together.
    For a moment it is all rush and sensation, flesh against flesh and strong athletic bodies straining as he grimaces, trying to get in that hold to secure the victory.

Colleen Wing has posed:
Another knee to the thigh, striking ther tendon and muscle and causing her to immediatly wince and muffle her cry of pain. She will not give him the satisfaction of that. In the next moment she finds herself in a pretty tight choke hold, that feeling of trying to catch a breath and not being able to. His tight bare arm across her neck as she tries to not squirm as it would only make it worse. Everything is telling her to tap, everything is telling her to squirm and struggle, but she knows wasted energy in this hold will only make it worse. Her eyes close and she tries to center her focus, slowly her breathing.
She manages to get one foot planted and forces a slight roll to find herself on top of him. An arm slithers under the trapping leg and she is able to pry just enough off to give herself a bit more movement. Her hips are thrusted upwards with help from the planted foot and she slams her backside down into his lower abdomen and groin area while driving hardned fists into his thighs. The goal...make him loosen even the slightest so she can slip out.

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    It's a struggle, even as she's feeling breath hard to come by, his strong arm across her throat and his other arm being fouled by her twisting and turning. Then his grip with one leg is pushed off and to the side, ending with him onto his back. For a moment he holds his breath trying to focus as well only for her to shift and strike /hard./
    It's enough to cause a wince, to give her that fraction of an inch in that spare moment where she can twist her head to the side and get a hand under his arm to push it up. And suddenly blessed breath returns to her lungs as he tries to push her away and to get clear for them to regain their feet and retake their stances.
    There's that crunching whisper of his knee digging into the mats as he pushes himself up and onto one leg and one knee, then leans back to find his balance again, likely expecting her to disengage as well as she seemed leery of grappling, likely thinking she'd want to get away as quickly as possible as well.

Colleen Wing has posed:
He thought wrong. Common sense would suggest that she would try to disengage, but the opening created is the time to push. She is short of breath and trying to catch it, but there is no time to get it back. She quickly rushes forward to the man on one knee and in a lightning flash. She grabs his arm and shoulder and tries to pull him down to get her legs up to place one of them under his arm and another over the shoulder. The fluid motion finds him in a triangle choke with her legs locked in tight around his throat, applying pressure with her thighs to his neck.

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    She's able to swing those legs up as she pulls on his arm, using that arm as her anchor as she falls back onto the mats and hitting them heavily even as she breaks his balance and pulls him down with her until they're on their sides and she's able to tighten up that choke. And for him the entire world becomes this blur of sensation.
    There's the heavy thunder of his blood in his ears, the rasp of the fabric from her sweat pants against the side of his neck, the strain of her against him. She can likely tell how staggeringly warm he is, and can feel the heat of his body through that thin layer of fabric even as she pulls on his arm and tenses her legs.
    He struggles to the side, trying to get some leverage with his legs, if he's able to straighten up he might try to lift her up into the air and drop her onto the mats to break that hold, but she's got the position for now.

Colleen Wing has posed:
The key is to not let him get to his feet or his footing. That is her main objective right now, use her legs to control his movement. Whenever he tries to get his footing, she twists her hips a bit to wrench him back to where she wants him. Ankles lock and she arches a bit more, doing her best to cinch it in, countering to the best of her ability to counter his shifting to get footing. "Tap and it all ends." She is breathing heavily now, chest rising and falling from he flat position.

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    There's a blaze of intensity as he tries to scramble on the mats, toes digging in as he tries to find purchase, one hand that's not locked in place trying to grab at her side, to seek purchase, then seeking to find a proper place to strike, pressure point to attack, but she's learned her lesson and those thighs are tight.
    The world starts to fade, darkness encroaching around the edges of his vision as at the same tie fireworks burst behind his eyes. Another grunt is felt more than heard as his breath is exhaled hard and warm into that soft fabric of her sweat pants.
    She'll feel a hand upon her side, perhaps the intent was there to tap, but then consciousness leaves him as that hand falls off and away, leaving him there at her mercy for now.

Colleen Wing has posed:
She feels him go limp, the pressure of the hold having done what it was intended to do and the leg hold is released. She lies on her back a moment, breathing heavily and staring up at the ceiling of the dojo a moment. After a few moments, she rises to her knees and a crawls to his side, lightly tapping his face until he regains consciousness. "Hey there. Wake up. I got a class coming in soon." She reaches back to tighten her ponytail a bit, making her hair more contained and exhales once more, watching him. "You're kind of in the way." She will continue to lightly tap him until he comes around again.

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    The good thing about carotid chokes like the triangle there is that when they steal a person's consciousness... it's quick to return and soon enough he coughs a bit and then shakes his head, returning to awareness of the world, and then the ceiling, and then of her lightly tapping him. One eye scrunches up as he winces and he grimaces. Then he sits sloooowly up as he murmurs, "Lesson learned... I think."
    For he thought he had the understanding of her, and she surprised him entirely.
    A breath is taken as he rubs at his neck, then fans himself with the collar of his t-shirt, having worked up a good bit of sweat as well. "You're very good, sensei." He offers in admission, nodding once to her.

Colleen Wing has posed:
"I am alright. I can hold my own I suppose. It's all I really know." She sits pushes herself up from the floor and makes her way to her living quarters, returning with two bottles of cold water, handing on to him before sitting down with her back against the wall. "You are much better than I thought. You will do well, but I stand by my words that you can give her no signs and need to try and get her off focus. A monumental task to say the least." She opens her water and takes a long sip, the sweat glistening on her bare arms. "When did you day this fight was?"

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    The bottle is accepted with a smile of thanks as he touches it to the sheen of sweat on his brow, clearly having given as much as she did in that fight. He smiles and fans himself a little more, the black t-shirt sticking to parts of his chest even as he twists the top off the bottle and takes a sip.
    "Tomorrow." He tells her, head tilting to the side. "I've thought about different things to try but..."
    He touches the bottle to the back of his neck, eyes closing in quiet ecstasy as he sighs softly, but then continues, "But I feel like it may just seem... gimmicky in her eyes. So I've somewhat resolved just to give her as strong of a fight as I can and see what passes."
    That said he takes another sip of water, "But this has helped me some, I think. What do I owe you for your consulting fee?"

Colleen Wing has posed:
There is a shake of her own head and another sip taken. "Nothing. Don't worry about it. You are going to have enough issues soon enough with what lies ahead for you, taking your money seems cruel." SHe is still breathing a bit heavily. "FIght with honor and skill and you will earn her respect, no matter what the outcome. Lady SHiva is a big one on honor and respect, earn her respect and you will win in her eyes. You need not defeat her to win this match."
Another long sip is taken and she peers over at the young man. "She is going to test you and push you to limits you have never seen before. Just give her nothing she can use against you. And like I said, all you need to do is earn her respect to win."

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    "That's kind of you," Alexander says, and his normal manner is so different than when he's fighting, so at ease, so laconic. It's a curious dichotomy and is difficult to get a read on assuredly.
    But then he looks across the way to her and smiles, "But I feel like I still owe you something. A favor at least." And as he says that he looks back toward the entryway, toward where he left his backpack. He doesn't get up to head in that direction yet, but looks back to her and says, "I'll leave my number with you and you can call if you need a hand with something down the line. And I'll show up. Alright?"
    There's a slight tilt of his head as he murmurs, "No questions asked."

Colleen Wing has posed:
The young man is given a sidelong glance and a raised brow. "Deal. Likewise. One can never have too many friends and allies to call upon in times of need." She exhales slowly and nods once. "I am sure there will be a time when I will put that number to good use." She looks at him a moment longer and then softly adds. "Do not be afraid. Show no fear and you will do well. She is just another opponent. Got it?"
She slowly pushes herself up off the floor and extends a hand to the man to help him up. "You are welcome here anytime. Someone of your skill is a blessing to this dojo."

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    Rising as well, the youth smiles at her as he accepts her hand and covers it with the other to give a firm shake sincere in the offering of thanks so given. "I can... kinda guarantee I won't be afraid. But I recognize the sentiment," His lips twist a little, a glimmer of mirth in those curious eyes. But then he gives her a nod.
    "I appreciate it," And then he starts to step back, "I'm going to go and train some, and try and get my head on straight. But thank you for your time, sensei."
    Once that's said he turns and starts to step away, bare feet whispering faintly upon the fabric of the mats as he moves. He reaches that other edge of the mats and starts to pull his shoes on, slinging his backpack over one shoulder. After leaving a small note with his number and name, he'll lift a hand to offer a wave to her even as he steps back to depart.
    And unless she stops him he'll head on out that door.