Techniques of the Three Year-old Heart [Kiyr]

[Delilah A. Black]

A day off.

This was getting rarer and rarer these days...time just for herself.

So why was she spending it in Dragon territory?

It was a good a question as any and it had many reasons attached to it. One was to let the Dragon's see that she had far from abandoned her outreach to them. Another was because she genuinely was starting to feel as though David's knick of the woods was a second home to her; in fact, it was his sash tied around her bicep. But she was also seeking company, and Delilah knew it wouldn't be long until she was noticed.

She was currently in a patch of green space one supposed could pass as a park, moving slowly through some techniques and kata inlaid into her very nerves and muscles. It was slow, graceful, and almost looked like tai-chi, but if you sped it up at all, it was easy to tell how lethal it all was.

Delilah breathed slowly, in as she drew her limbs towards her, and out as she punched, kicked and struck at an army of molasses like opponents.

[Kyrie Blaze]

No, it wouldn't be long at all.

A pair of crystalline blue eyes watched Delilah from a distance, nearer to what could only be termed as a former baseball diamond. But it was a semi-familiar place to the blonde that watched the fluid forms and motions so quietly. She held a book in her hand, gently pressed against her side.

It was a day of peace.

Even her activities earlier in the day hadn't been in preparation for the battles against Barker...but of rebuilding, starting from within the Dragon Territory. Buildings needed to be repaired, restored. A sustainable source of energy had to be found, considering they didn't have the benefit of rumoured hydroelectricity, and Leon could only help so much. Wood had to be chopped and stacked...and a multitude of other things had to be done.

And now she had a little window of downtime until she pushed on for other things. Perhaps in a few days she would switch things up and make her way to Levi's to play again. Her fingers itched for the piano and the familiar keys...but for now, her mind wanted a book. The feel of it, being able to read and lose herself in a world very different than the one they lived in, now.

So for the moment, she slipped over towards a tree to sit in partial shade and pass her time reading and watching the Crow with her Storm Dragon sash, with her mesmerising movements. Slender fingers gently smoothed over the edge of the book she had received from "Santa" at Christmas before she turned it to the feather bookmark that held the spot she last left off on. Coincidence?

'...perhaps.'

[Delilah A. Black]

Still breathing slowly in and out, Delilah transitioned from 'chi no kata' into 'fu no kata', switching up the strong, blunt motions to the flowing, 'Wing chun' like movements of the style of wind. Kicks that seemed to come from nowhere, stretching her limbs to their limits as she lowered her body to kick her invisible opponents jaw. Slowly, she lowered herself the rest of the way to the ground and rolled. As her feet touched down, she extended a leg in one long sweep in a semi circle around her before drawing slowly back up to a standing position.

During her turn, though, she noticed the young blonde woman seated beneath a tree. Kiyr, if she was any judge. Delilah smiled slightly, flowing back into the kata with a palm strike, a hook and a sweep backwards with her leg with a twisting punch for the falling man's face.

"Good afternoon, Kiyr," Delilah called out toward the girl as she turned her body to the side, aiming three kicks for the midsection, the upper chest and finally the face.

[Kyrie Blaze]

Kiyr's attention drifted up and down, but lingered much longer when she caught sight of some more familiar movements. Her fingers and the feather marked the page, and she allowed the book to close in favour of watching Delilah through partially closed eyes, seeing yet unseeing, as her gaze wasn't particularly focused.

The acknowledgement caused her to blink and then incline her head in silent response, unwilling to interrupt with a verbal response. It was nice to just be, and to watch. It could almost make her relaxed enough to sleep...almost.

The blonde remained awake, doing what she did best.

[Delilah A. Black]

Delilah would continue through her motions, throwing elbow and knee strikes before lifting her leg and dropping her heel in an axe kick on a downed opponents head, hands reaching out to grab the front of an invisible shirt to yank him into a nasty headbutt, followed by a hook behind the knee to drop him to the ground a little faster, riding his head down with her hand to ensure it hit first.

She would continue this in silence, content with simply going through the ever creative motions of her art.

[Kyrie Blaze]

Delilah would receive no interruption throughout the duration of her "kata without kata". Just quiet observance more often than when she was reading her book. It was really impressive, if one took in the moment and chose to enjoy it.

And, as always, it was an opportunity to learn of another person she interacted with.

[Delilah A. Black]

Shifting into a style that more closely resembled the tiger style of kung fu, all of Delilah's strikes would be designed with hand claws in mind. Flesh tears targeted on the insides of the thigh, behind joints (like the knee, to pull off the cartilage), an upper cut for the jaw to hook the hollow soft part between the bone and shred the flesh, a grab underneath the rib cage on the right side to puncture the liver. Eye gouge. Rip out the lower lip. Tear out the throat.

The enemy, should he have existed, would be completely unrecognizable. The fact that Delilah did not have the actual tool readily available meant that she had to compensate with her hands. She would never get the same result as actual metal spikes jutting out from her palms, but she was strong enough to dig her fingers into flesh and produce some real pain, even peel away the skin from the muscle or pry bones away from ligaments.

And with a final dislodging, twisting palm to the center of mas of her opponent, Delilah would still, bringing herself back to centre, inhaling deeply. She put her palms together, as if in prayer, facing the South.

"Shiken harumitsu daiko myo."

She bowed at a slight angle at the waist before straightening up and turning back to Kiyr with a slight smile.

"How are you?"

[Kyrie Blaze]

Delilah's movements caused Kiyr's eyes to flick upwards again. And again. It was almost pointless to try to read when her attention was drawn back to the fluid, purposeful grace on display. So she did wind up giving up, pressing the book closed with the tip of the green feather sticking out the top.

The blonde inclined her head again as the raven-haired woman approached--just slightly and for a respectfully brief amount of time before she lifted light blue eyes again. How was she..?

"...I am peaceful, and well. Yourself..?"

It was almost surprising, to her, to actually be at peace, with none of her hurt or worries catching her unaware, but there it was. So Kyrie let herself be...and silently - for now, at least - expressed her gratitude to Delilah with a tiny smile.

[Delilah A. Black]

Delilah let out a tiny sigh as her gaze moved to the position of the sun in the sky. Her day off was almost over. She still had HOURS of course until she would be back in the field, but these days to herself were becoming so infrequent that hours were starting to feel like minutes. "Well enough. It's getting harder and harder to escape for a little time for myself every now and again."

She forced herself to sit, and then lie down on the ground not far from Kiyr, staring up at the sky and lacing her hands behind her head for a pillow, content with just lying there in silence, focusing on her breathing as she expanded her awareness out and away from herself, trying to touch everything and everyone. "You seem...lighter today."

Shadow pun.

[Kyrie Blaze]

"I believe I can empathize." Came the quiet, ironically toned reply, coupled with a small twitch of her lips.

Though she imagined Delilah would have more duties and issues grabbing her attention, things for the slender blonde were no longer so simple for her anymore. But it was nice, to have to be concerned and help others, instead of just caring for herself.

"...as it seems, so it is." Kyrie inclined her head, opening her book back up to smooth the page and idly twist and twirl the feather between her fingers. "If I may inquire: what brings you to the Dragons' Territory, on your day of rest..?"

[Delilah A. Black]

She would watch Kiyr with the periphery of her vision, noting the all too familiar book in her lap and a tell-tale little green feather she recognized instantly. She stifled a small, satisfied smile and listed her head to one side for a moment to indicate a shrug.

"Because I wanted to. I needed a place for quiet for my meditations without any distractions and it shows the soldiers of both our gangs that I'm willing to cavort with the other willingly. Besides, I like it here. David is a good leader and it shows in his people."

[Kyrie Blaze]

Delilah was difficult to get a bead on; she had an impressive poker face, though Kiyr did note the glance to the book and feather. It could have been nothing more than a passing interest for the item the blonde had. It could have been something more. Either way Kyrie's fingers curled gently over the edges. Almost protectively.

"This is true..." Connections. It was all about the connections. She nodded slightly. "Have you enjoyed your time here, then?"

The slightest edge of a tiny smile curved her lips. Kyrie didn't really think she needed to ask, but casual conversation and the expressions that went along with could sometimes help more in her mental image and build of a person than heavy questions could.

[Delilah A. Black]

Delilah nodded, smiling a little more. "Absolutely. It's nice to be able to remove myself from frantic situations. Even if all I do is train," she chuckled.

Still staring up at the sky, Delilah closed her eyes and exuded a long, slow breath. Finding her center and working out all the 'toxins', both literal and metaphysical, out of her body with with nothing but her will and acres of patience.

Of course, this didn't mean she wouldn't be able to carry on a polite conversation. "What about you? A little time away from your usual duties and your training with Mathew?" She opened her eyes as a thought occured to her and she tilted her head to look at Kiyr, amused. "Or am I what brought you here?"

She hadn't known the girl for very long, but from how she had seen her act around David and from what she had heard about the girl from Mathew, she was a very loyal young woman and even more cautious. It wouldn't surprise her--and nor would she be offended-- if Kiyr's purpose here was to keep an eye on their Crow guest.

[Kyrie Blaze]

Kyrie was quiet for a few moments after the question.

"I wanted to enjoy the time I have as a break, perhaps read the book I was anonymously given, and it would be foolish to squander an opportunity to learn." Was the reply, wholly truthful. To learn and observe; to form her own opinion on Delilah and others that the Dragons interacted with. Even those they didn't. Knowledge, even a small fragment, was powerful in its own right, even when the person carrying the knowledge wasn't physically superior. If they could use their knowledge and use it well, then they could have a definite advantage over stronger, faster opponents in some cases.

And Kyrie wished to see Delilah with eyes unclouded by David, Mathew, and Leon's reactions to her, and how she reacted in turn. Or even how the other Dragons acted towards her.

While she was certain that Delilah was not a personal threat to her or the Storm, Lightning, or Earth Dragons, she also knew that certainty was based mostly upon the interactions with David and the others she had observed. She could admire the raven-haired woman for her intelligence and for her diligence. But trust? Trust was hard-won, and Kyrie wanted no room for doubt that, when and if the time came, that Delilah would not choose to turn away or - worse - to draw the knife that stabbed them in the back.

Delilah hadn't shown any reason for her to distrust the woman, but she was definitely right in that the slender blonde was cautious. And rightfully so.

[Delilah A. Black]

Still smiling, Delilah's chin would dip up and down as she nodded and turned her head back to look up at the sky. "So, you want to learn? About what? Crows? Myself?" another chuckle, this one slightly embarrassed at the prospect. She felt that she wasn't really worth knowing much about. Not very important in the grand scheme of things. Not in regard to the gangs, but as a whole, as a human on the lonely planet Earth spinning in the vastness of space.

"Well, if you have any questions, I'd be happy to answer them. If you have anything you would like to learn from me, that is."