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What does it mean to be one's own self? [Open]
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Post by Feos on Mar 24, 2016 10:46:05 GMT -5
The youthful man took a quiet moment of just observing Mason and Lupo and their obviously close bond, smiling faintly. Somehow the happiness they shared also made him feel a bit lighter. Though, when he heard Mason's invitation to a sparring match, Feos chuckled and shook his head lightly.
"Now, isn't a sparring match, by default, an occasion where both parties are holding back?" he asked, as he slowly took off his shirt. It was torn at his back, two holes where his wings blazed into existence twice before, and its shape had been deformed, making it a bit uncomfortable if Feos was to move around a bit too much like that. "If that wasn't the case, if we didn't hold back, I get the feeling that after the fight, the meadow would never again be as beautiful as it's now." Feos said with an honestly cheerful tone, but his words were also true. He could imagine fierce gales sweeping violently through a burning field.
After taking off his shirt, revealing his slender but toned and defined physique. His shoulders were broad, his muscles supple but tight, his forearms relatively thick, the knuckles of his hands a bit rougher than the rest of the guy's fair skin. "Again, my name is Feos Zephyr, a Phoenix. My style is one I developed, and its name is Fist of Revolving White Fire, an art that consists of both internal and external aspects. An honor to be your opponent." he said formally, cupping his left hand over his right in front of his face, towards Mason's direction and bowing his head lightly.
Speaking so, Feos revealed the name of the art he had made, and perhaps it could sound surprising that he had a style he made at such a seemingly young age. Most would consider him a superficial fraud...but at the exact previous sentence, Feos revealed his mythical nature, and perhaps that could explain the situation to those who noticed it.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 24, 2016 11:13:17 GMT -5
Mason watched with a wide grin as Feos prepped for the match. "Haha, true. I suppose we should save some energy for our excursion later, but I think we're both capable men who can handle ourselves," he joked, knowing full well that their match wouldn't end up in mass destruction or either being drastically injuries. On the other hand, Mason expected this to be a little more than a practice, as both men seemed eager to demonstrate their abilities. "Stay there pup," he told Lupo who watched the two from under the large tree. "I want you to get a good view when I kick his ass," Mason finished jokingly.
He walked away from the shade of the tree towards Feos. He had debated taking off his shirt like his opponent, but the fabric was lose, and there were already three large cuts across the back from the gytrash, so the shirt was damaged anyway. He decided to keep it on, knowing that even if Feos had tried to use it to his advantage, the lose fabric would just tear instead of being used again Mason. He circled each legs a couple times, feeling the slack on the fashionable but moveable trousers.
"Whoa, a Phoenix, eh?" He repeated, impressed. "This is the first I've ever met with a Phoenix before. And I thought I could get more excited," Mason said with a cocky smirk on his face. "I'm a practitioner of Ba Gua, though this isn't something I developed. You might know it, but it is also a very inventive and flexible art, so I might just surprise you."
As he finish, Mason bowed, though less formally. It was clear that it was not something he was accustom to, but respected Feos too much to not give the courtesy in return. Mason stood up right, his staff held behind his back with his right hand, while his left arm rested vertically down his centre, his palm open. He was angled away from Feos, though his head was facing his opponent. From afar, Mason looked relaxed, though his muscles were engaged, and his durable, lean body pumped with excitement. Based on appearance, Mason looked as if he might have more muscle on his body than Feos, though he knew looks to be deceiving. He also knew that that difference between them wouldn't tips the scales either. This wasn't a test of strength, but of skill.
"Let me see that fire power then!"
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Post by Feos on Mar 24, 2016 16:52:45 GMT -5
It was about half an hour later, then the spar finally slowed down and then stopped. Feos was panting lightly, and there was drops of sweat dripping down his chin and some of his hair's locks. But he had truly enjoyed it and had fun. The pair had started with slower, very controlled movements, getting a feel for each other's limits and strength. Slowly, getting more familiar with how each other moved and reacted, they became more bold, and each time this happened, their eyes briefly met, as if they were communicating they could kick it up another notch.
It was soon made obvious that Feos was superior when it came to pure strength and durability. A mythical being as he was, not a human, his strength was many times more than that of even a very strong human. His durability the same, but he made sure to contain and not use those excessively, instead focusing on speed, technique and reaction, where the pair was nicely matched.
Feos didn't use his flames much, it was mostly just for demonstration, but it was also obvious that when their powers clashed, Mason had the upper hand, for the simple reason that flames cannot easily go against the wind, and their direction is dictated by that. If Feos truly wanted to overwhelm Mason and his wind, he would have to use many times the energy Mason put in his wind currents, to start countering the natural disadvantage.
The phoenix's martial art style was very well rounded, and what he demonstrated consisted of sudden, powerful, hard style blocks, followed by techniques executed with proper breathing and internal energy, using the muscles of the entire body to generate power and also the power provided by a proper balance and stance, which were typically more of internal teachings. Many times Feos went for holds and throws, for pressure points and joint locks, and he used hand and leg techniques alike, showing great versatility. He was focused in keeping control of the centerline, but he often executed circular motions, especially when it came to some counter-attacks.
He had truly enjoyed this battle and how Mason incorporated his wind techniques with his martial arts, often getting a sudden edge that Feos had to work hard to overturn. Feos hadn't truly opted for such a battle style before, considering physical combat to be separate from a phoenix's majestic flames and pure power display, but he thought that perhaps he could be inspired and even shown a few examples by Mason, and combine his power and martial arts a bit. To what result? He couldn't tell, but he was curious to tread that path. He also thought of many things he could show Mason in return, and the thought made him smile even more.
"You're very talented, Mason. You've achieved quite a good form for someone so young! Who taught you?" Feos asked, his tone praising and still showing some of the battle's excitement as he wiped the sweat off his forehead. Feos had centuries of combat technique and training behind him, and even if he had to recover much of it with each of his reincarnations, he was still ahead because of his past lives' work, but he meant his words, and Mason was truly a natural born martial artist, who at his peak, if he trained hard, could challenge anyone on equal grounds, Feos truly believed that.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 24, 2016 17:30:07 GMT -5
Despite his young body and peak physical abilities, Mason panted deeply after their sparring match. He wiped the sweat from his forehead, before falling on his back into the cool grass. This shirt got ripped off during the match, which didn't surprise Mason from the excessive damages it received before the, though the cool grass felt good on his body. His staff laid closer towards Lupo now, as it had got knocked away in their fight. It was an eventuality as once it had been knocked, Feos had made sure to give Mason a chance to retrieve it.
Mason had also been right about strength. He may have looked like he was stronger, but it was very clear despite Feos' restraints, that Feos was significantly stronger and had convinced him that the tittle Phoenix was not just self proclaimed. This quickly made Mason reevaluate his fighting style, and he had gone back to the roots of Ba Gua, spiraling and circling, dodging and evading Feos' attacks.
Most times when Mason attacked, it came as a counter attack, using the spiral motions to enhance his air blasts. Mostly though, the pair exchanged quick blows and strong defences. Naturally Feos seemed to put most of the pressure on Mason, which made sense as his technique focused mostly on evading, attacks coming from his opponent giving an opening or exhausting their energy.
Despite his high stamina, impressive flexibility, and his skill with his ability in combination with fighting, Mason knew that if both fought at their full strength, Feos would eventually surpass Mason.
As he laid looking at the sky, Mason's chest rose up and down. He still had a lot to learn if he was going to be a valid contender with supernatural beings; his father was right. This memory brought a bit of anger and guilt to Mason, and he continued to look at the sky until Feos spoke. The phoenix asked of Mason's training, and that only fuelled the those memories. "Thank you," he said, turning his head to look at Feos, a force smile on his face. "My father taught me," he said, and turned back to look at the sky. There was a moment of awkward silence that Mason didn't mean to create. Of course Feos didn't know. He shook his head, placed his hands flat about his head and performed a kip up to get to his feet.
"Thanks for the fight. It's been the most fun I've had here so far," he said sincerely. "I really did think I had you there with that swipe," Mason chuckled, referring to an arm swipe, that with the help of his air bending, forced Feos flying backwards. "But you're know more than you lead on. You must have been doing this for a while." A pause, this one filled with Mason debating whether he should ask or not. "You really are a phoenix, aren't you?" He didn't mean for the question to be so blunt, but he did not ask it to annoy or pester his new found friend; there was curiosity and interest in who Feos was now.
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Post by Feos on Mar 24, 2016 17:57:00 GMT -5
Feos slowly sat up just a bit, so that his hands were supporting his torso and keeping it at a 45 degrees angle with his sprawled legs. He looked up at the clouds, which were starting to show hues of orange and pink because of the sun slowly descending. He took in a few deep breaths of the meadow's fresh air and closed his eyes. For a moment, an aching feeling surfaced inside him. A small, weak part of him hoped that his father would have also taught him, but he quickly pushed that back, as he had done countless times before.
When he replied, his tone was calmer, with the excitement slowly quieting down to a sense of calmness, the quiet after the storm, coupled with the pleasant feeling of relaxation after an intense workout. "I am." Feos confirmed, his tone simple and honest, and he turned to look towards Mason, trying to read his face for a reaction.
"The fiery bird of myths, who dies in flames and is reborn from the ashes. I've been reborn eight times up to this point. Each time, a new person is born, and yet the same, as many parts of who had once been follow on and are gradually reclaimed. The same goes with combat experience, which explains the feeling you had about our sparring match." Feos kept on, his tone rather even and not at all boastful. Normally, he didn't even reveal his species to others, but with Mason, he felt inclined to share more.
"I've met and witnessed two masters of your art, way back in the past. Your form is a bit different, it makes sense, but I'm sure they would have been impressed by what you've accomplished at your age and would have wanted to teach you." he continued. "Their form had a closer relation with weapon usage, because of those times, your movements now have become smoother and more adapted to unarmed combat. Your staff usage, I haven't met something too similar in the past, only similarities in the basic principles." Feos continuing, revealing that he truly enjoyed analyzing martial arts.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 24, 2016 18:16:31 GMT -5
Mason looked down at Feos, who was now standing after kicking himself up. He was amazed that he had actually met a phoenix; even with super natural beings widely known, there are not a lot of cases of these mythical birds. It made him smile again. "Must be pain, constantly having to go through puberty again and again," Mason teased, avoiding the subject of him and his father. "Of course, the benefits are incredible obviously. Your fighting technique is too refined to be something you created at such a young age," he pointed out. He joined Feos in looking up at the coloured sky, crossing his arms over his bare chest.
"You think so?" he asked without looking at Feos. "You think they'd be impressed?" he asked with hope in his voice, though this hope was not directed to the creators of Ba Gua, but of this father who relentlessly taught him. "I know they dealt with a number of weapons, swords and the like, but the staff works best in conjunction with my air, at least that's what..." he trailed off. Another pause before he cleared his throat.
"Anyway, it looks like it's getting close to night time. We're not allowed in after dark, are we?" He walked over to his staff and picked it up, resting it on the back of his neck and shoulders, as his arms wrapped around it and hung over it. He turned back to Feos, whistling at Lupo who got up and trotted over. The dog walked past Mason and over to Feos, who was sitting, and sat beside him, leaning slightly on him. His back was to Feos and he looked up at Mason as if expecting something.
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Post by Feos on Mar 25, 2016 12:37:58 GMT -5
Feos eyebrows both shot up in surprise at Mason's remark about puberty. To be talking with a phoenix about his, well, phoenix-ness, and to think of something like that....after a moment's shock, Feos actually laughed a bit and nodded in agreement. Puberty would always be a trial, for anyone and everyone. The phoenix also nodded in agreement timely, to confirm his previous remark that Mason's Ba Gua would have impressed the Elders he had met in the past, but he did feel it when something troubled Mason and made him stop talking suddenly. He was curious, admittedly, but he didn't want to press the subject. Mason had been quite discreet with him, and Feos could certainly extend the same courtesy.
"You're right, Mason. We should be heading back soon." Feos agreed, and he gently rubbed the top of Lupo's head as the wolfdog leaned against him, petting him lightly. "Also, I didn't get the chance to mention it before, but we're at the same dorm." Feos added with a small smile. He liked that thought.
"I value knowledge and have pursued it greatly in the past, and I certainly have quite a few goals and ambitions, but you see...this time here, in the Academy, it's but a step in life, and a rather tranquil and peaceful one. It's as if I get to experience a few more relaxed years, with less troubles and worries in my head, and I wish to take it easy during this precious years, expressing myself and my inspiration through art of all kinds." Feos spoke, and as he did, his eyes gaze was a bit unfocused, as if he was looking at something that wasn't around them. And the way he had spoken, explaining how this was just a phase....it wasn't easy for someone who wasn't exceptionally mature for their age to be able to distance themselves from the present this much and see their lives from a bigger perspective. It happened frequently, Feos ancient nature with current teen stage alternating, as Feos reclaimed more of who he had been in the past, while adding more to that by living in the present.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 25, 2016 13:20:11 GMT -5
Without realizing it, Mason had held his breath at the thought of his father, and his body was tenser than it needed to be. He hadn't talked with his father for a number of months now, and the last time they interacted did not end pleasantly. To Mason's surprise, and relief, Feos didn't question him further, which cause him to relax, his body visibly less tense (as he was shirtless) and his breathing was calming. A smile returned back to his face when Feos mentioned they shared the same dormitory. "Brilliant. We're going to get into loads of trouble, aren't we?" Mason chuckled. He looked to Feos, but they turned to face the forest behind him.
Already, Mason was thinking of trouble. In confidence in his abilities and the knowledge of Feos' skill made him feel quite untouchable, and the fact that he was allowed to go into the forest at night, only made him want to go in more. He couldn't ask Feos to do that, not yet at least, though perhaps later in their friendship.
Mason listened intently as Feos spoke about his reasoning in dorm, which was similar to his own reasoning. He noticed that whenever the phoenix spoke he sounded incredibly wise, wiser than a 19 year old. It made his want to discuss more about Feos' experiences and memories. He was more interested in what Feos' thoughts were, that the fact he was a phoenix was almost irrelevant to an extent.
"Well I can agree with you there mate, I'm sure Serpens would have been a good fit for me, but I'm not always about going intense all the time," he said softly. "I love art: drawing nature is especially my favourite. Mostly scenery, or my perceptions, or even visions I see while meditating." He paused for a moment, but chuckling at himself. "I'm also a fan of fashion," he said, blushing a bit in embarrassment, though it didn't truly bother him. "I know it makes me sound really prissy, but I love designs, and looking good. I think fashion is a great form of expression! So, if you ever need clothes mate," he said, looking down at Feos with a smirk. "Ever want to impress someone, let me know. I've got enough outfits!"
As if on cue, after Mason finished speaking, Lupo barked, wagging his tail too. "Shall we get something to eat then?" Mason asked Feos, though Lupo's ears perked up at the word 'eat'. He stood on all fours, obviously eager to go. "Then maybe figure out something to do afterwards?"
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Post by Feos on Mar 25, 2016 15:54:29 GMT -5
Feos nodded in agreement and then chuckled at a thought. "We should get something to eat, yeah, but preferably, we could grab a shirt first, right? I'm not very eager to dine shirtless, don't you think? I wonder just how sneaky we can be while reaching the dorm." Feos said with a grin.
"Let's just be very quick and quiet about that on our way there. I wonder if Lupo is the kind of dog that can be sneaky?" Feos said, in quite the jesting tone, smiling down at Lupo and then at Mason as he stood up and stretched his arms to the sky.
"Today's little adventure was quite exciting, Mason. It's good to have you here in the Academy." Feos said, his tone just a tad more formal than before, but also honest, his eyes meeting with Mason's. He held out his hand for a handshake, and it was that moment, before the ancient tree that they met, that the friendship between the two young men would be formed.
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I took a deep breath and listened to the old brag of my heart - I am, I am, I am. |
Thunder Goddess
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Post by Seren on Apr 1, 2016 3:12:04 GMT -5
[ooc; I'm assuming this thread is dead, please let me know in a future when you finish a thread! If it's not then let me know and I will delete my post and move the thread back to where it goes.]
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