JP Lieutenant Commanders Toryn Raga & Lael Rosek: My Ego Isn't The Only Thing That's Bruised, Part II (Revised)
Lieutenant Commander Toryn Raga
((ooc: Reposted with corrected errors))
((Gymnasium, Deck 5, USS Atlantis, Par’tha Expanse, Enroute to Earth))
{{Time Index: Day 23 of Shoreleave}}
A slight smirk curled the corner of his lips when she refrained from taking the lure to strike first in the way he knew the old Lael would have. In a way, he was proud of her for that. When she threw out those testing jabs he merely avoided them, with only enough effort as was needed. One of the last ones he slapped her arm away forcefully, with the palm of his hand, just enough to let her feel the sting.
Toryn was mindful that he was much stronger than here. When sparring like this, even against another Al-Leyan he was always hesitant, if not afraid he’d damage his opponent like the many tables, desks and a holodeck had been. It was his turn to test her, throwing some easily noticeable punches, but never not moving.
Raga: Oh, come on. You call this a spar? ::He smiled:: Don’t worry, Lael. There’s no way you could possibly hurt me. ::He goaded her again::
She was well aware of that fact and was more concerned with accuracy and effectiveness than controlling her strength. Unlike with holographic opponents, her goal wasn’t to kill, but to wear him down. Her best hope was to preserve her strength, using only what was necessary until his stamina gave. It would take time, but she had that on her side. She’d learned over the years to be content sometimes with simply breaking even.
She ignored the goading remark, throwing a few more punches, before attempting a leg sweep, careful to position herself so he couldn’t use it against her if it failed.
Those cerulean eyes watched her closely, noting every twitch of a muscle, every breath she took. The punches she threw and he didn’t see any of the aggressiveness he would have once expected from her. Must be that Vulcan thing. When the leg sweep came Toryn planted his feet firmly into the mat and let her leg hit his. Like kicking a duranium pipe. He braced for the hit. She was still half Al-Leyan, and as such was much stronger than most of his opponents at the Academy. But he didn’t feel the full power he knew she was probably capable of.
With the sweep handled, he stepped back and lifted his legs up repeatedly, like he was doing stretches. His palms smacked into his knees as they met about his waist level. Toryn hopped in place a moment, shifting from foot to foot before pivoting hard on the ball of his right foot and swinging his left leg around in a powerful roundhouse kick. He held back a lot. Mindful that he could put her in Sickbay. But he had to use enough speed to make it a reasonable attack.
She blocked the attack with ease. Dassa had thrown better combos when they were training. Granted, she was holding back herself at the moment, trying to get a read on his style. Dropping her hands, she took a step back, studying him before again dropping into her fighting stance.
This time, she upped the ante, coming at him a touch more aggressively, her strikes gaining speed and power as her confidence grew. She knew he’d still hold back to some degree. But this wasn’t about brute strength for her. It was about outwitting her opponent. She’d learned over the years that when facing a stronger fighter, her best weapon was her mind. Again and again, she struck out at him, occasionally throwing in a move she’d picked up from previous opponents to keep him on his toes.
He hadn’t expected his kick to land, and when she blocked it he reversed his momentum and spun around to face her again, resuming his previous Mukhol stance. Shortly after settling into it she launched her next, more aggressive attack and he grinned. When she struck at his he half turned his torso while stepping to her right letting the first couple miss him completely and using his hands to deflect the next few. He took a hit from one of the moves he wasn’t expecting, but switched tack and switched stances mid step to Jaia. The art from their home region. A series of dizzying punches aimed at her right side and back from just under her armpit to her lower back. Even holding back Toryn could throw a good half dozen punches in a couple of seconds.
She grimaced as his punches came a little too close to her lower back for her comfort and she had to contort uncomfortably to avoid them. If she wasn’t careful, even a half-hearted punch would set the vulnerable spot throbbing, rendering her useless just long enough for him to gain the upper hand. Knowing that her classic leg sweeps wouldn’t work here, she pulled in one of the moves she’d picked up from Wrader years ago.
Careful to keep it out of her eyes, she threw a predictable punch and when he reacted as she’d expected, she side-stepped and grabbed his wrist, using the leverage to wrench it backward and grabbed his opposite shoulder. Taking advantage of his momentum, she brought up her knee and tugged him hard toward her.
He noted how she reacted to his punches, how she contorted herself so greatly to avoid him punching too close to her lower back. The way someone would try to keep a weak point from an opponent would. When her next strike came he blocked it with his arm and felt her grab him by the wrist and wrench it backwards. He grunted and felt the knee in his gut as she pulled him towards her. It was a move he hadn’t faced before, but if she was going to switch to grappling, he’d oblige. The most difficult art to master from Leya-I was known as Verida. It was difficult because it drew from Sore, Juio, Pejia and Shujjai. He was far from mastering it, but he’d been training since before he left the Academy.
When she pulled him towards her Toryn grabbed her shoulder with his free hand and hooked his leg around the one she was using for support and balance. He twisted his body at the waist so it would cause both their weight to put pressure on her leg and attempt to drag them both to the mat. His movements intended to send her down first with him on top of her, with on leg trapped between his.
She gasped twice. First at her impact with the mat and the second time when she felt the bulk of his weight land on top of her. She winced when she heard the soft cracking sound following by a breath-taking stab of pain in her torso. Had he just cracked one of her ribs? When she’d at last regained her senses, she drove a fist hard into his side, about where his kidney would be. Granted, she didn’t know if that was the same place on Al-Leyans, but she’d wager that the force she used would at least leave a bruise.
Rosek: ::hisses:: Azeno. Vi estas peza. (@$$. You’re heavy.)
He heard the crack. How could he not, being this close and with his hearing. He winced at the sound and in his concern over having actually hurt her he let his guard down. He felt the punch to his side and grunted.
Raga: Tio estas nur nuligebla. ((That’s just uncalled for.))
He flicked her forehead enough to sting and extricated himself from her, releasing the grapple and rolling away and to his feet. Extending a hand to her.
Raga: Mi ne povas helpi ĝin, se vi estas tiel damne malforta. ((I can’t help it if you’re so damned fragile.))
She scowled at him, fire burning in her eyes for a moment before she took his hand, smirking. Before he could react, she jerked him down to the mat and rolled to the side until he was pinned to the mat beneath her, hands over his head. When he tried to free them, she sat up slightly and brought her weight down hard on his chest, knocking the air from his lungs as he’d done to her earlier. It jarred her cracked ribs, but it was worth it. Grinning, she lowered her head until their faces were millimeters apart.
Rosek: Mi batalis kontraŭ virinoj pli malfacile ol vi. (I’ve fought women tougher than you.)
There was a certain poetic justice to her tossing him onto the mat as she did given how he’d done the same to her at least twice since she joined the crew. He would have laughed at it when she sat on his chest, but when he moved she brought her incredibly massive weight down on his chest, winding him. A deep grunt was made in response and he took a deep inhale when he was able.
Raga: Kaj vi nomis min peza? ((And you called me heavy?))
With their faces close enough that at one point it would have set his heart racing immediately he smirked up at her.
Raga: Probable. Estas multaj danĝeraj virinoj en Starfleet. ((Probably. There’s a lot of dangerous women in Starfleet))
The verbal taunt had no real effect on Toryn. He served with more than a few fierce women who would be more than a match for him. His strength, while formidable, was fleeting and could and had been taken away from him. There was more than that which made the measure of a person. Even if he often didn’t place the same on himself. That being said, Toryn let his words sink in and moved his legs together, feet flat on the mat. With a hard shove he kicked both knees into her back and relied on his core strength to vault her over him and move with her to reverse their positions. Sending her to the mat again, with him on top.
She cried out at the pressure on her back, but sealed her lips to stifle it. He moved with dizzying speed and before she could make sense of what had happened, he was back on top of her, his weight causing the throbbing to renew in her ribs. Her head was throbbing, too, making it likely that it had impacted with the mat hard somewhere along the way. Somehow, she managed to keep the tears of pain at bay, her eyes closed as she focused on catching her breath.
Before she could, however, she was hit with a wave of emotions so fast and in such rapid succession that she was momentarily stunned. By the time she’d recovered enough to look in the direction of the wave, she only caught a sliver of the person’s back as they retreated quickly.
Rosek: ::rasps:: What the--?
Hearing her cry out when he hit her back and not her ribs made him wonder if she’d been injured before coming to the ship, or if her childhood injury was really just that bad. Staring down at her he saw the pain in her eyes and shifted so more of his weight was on her waist, and legs than her stomach or chest. Toryn looked at her with concern.
Raga: That’s a move from Verida. I shouldn’t have done that with your ribs being what they are. Sorry. ::He said, clearly unaware that they had had someone watching them::
Rosek: ::breathily:: I--You didn’t see someone run off? ::grimaces:: I must have hit my head harder than I thought.
Raga: ::Glancing around:: No, it’s just us, Lael. ::His brow raised::
Rosek: ::rasps:: I got hit with at least half a dozen strong feelings then--
Raga: Really?
Looking around again he got up and grabbed her by the arms, easily and gently hoisting her off the floor and onto her feet.
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Lieutenant Commander Toryn Raga
Mission Specialist/Second Officer
USS Atlantis NCC-74682
PodCast Team Member
Training Team Member
Atlantis Staff Member
Writer ID: A239410TR0
https://wiki.starbase118.net/wiki/index.php?title=Toryn_Raga
&
Lieutenant Commander Lael Rosek, Eng.D.
Chief Engineer
USS Atlantis, NCC-74682
I238110RH0