Meeting a friend

[Illuvia]

Luvi shielded her eyes from the sun as she walked. She hated being outside when it was bright outside and still hadn’t quite figured out how to counteract it. Sometimes she wore a hat, or a cloak, but that was easier to do in the winter. Eventually she would have to figure out something or accept that she would only be going outside at night.

Luvi approached the inn that she was pretty sure Goku was staying at. She nodded to the innkeeper as she passed by, asking “what room is Goku in?” casually. She absent mindedly flexed her hands, excited to see her friend.

“You a visitor?” the man questioned nonchalantly.

“’Suppose I am,” she said with an inclination of her head.

“Right down the hall, third door on the right,” he said with a forced smile.

“Thanks,” she said, wondering if the man thought she looked weird. Her mutations were hard to miss nowadays. White hair, the thickness and strange appearance of her lower arms, etc were obvious signs that she was a mage.

She’d knock on his door a few minutes later, saying “Hi, it’s Luvi. You in there? I thought we could go have a little fun training.”

She wondered if he would question why she wasn’t serving the military like she told him she would. It was a topic she didn’t feel like talking about, to be honest. She intended to talk to him about her travel plans as well. While she did want to train, this visit was mostly to inform him that she would be making for the eternal empire sooner rather than later. They seemed to have a mutual interest in each other so it only made sense that they stick together, if Goku was still on the fence about settling down in the area.

[Goku]

Goku's concentration on his meditation was interrupted by a series of knocks at the door, pulling him out of his focused state. He blinked, momentarily disoriented, before rising to his feet and crossing the room to answer the unexpected visitor.

Opening the door, Goku's face lit up with a bright smile as he laid eyes on Luvi standing before him. "Luvi! Hey, I wasn't expecting to see you here. What brings you by?" he greeted her warmly, stepping aside to allow her entry.

He took a drink of his cup that he held. The liquid inside was tepid and tasted faintly of minerals, a reminder of the humble accommodations of the inn. Despite its lackluster quality, Goku drank it down with a shrug, appreciating the refreshment nonetheless.

Goku's smile widened at the sight of his friend. "I've been doing great. Working hard as always," he said, his voice filled with enthusiasm. "But enough about me, how about you? What have you been up to?"

As he spoke, Goku gestured towards the worn but comfortable furniture in the room, inviting Luvi to make herself at home. He glanced around, noting the simple furnishings and the soft glow of sunlight filtering through the window.

"I'm glad you're here! And speaking of training, I'd be more than happy to spar with you," Goku offered eagerly, excitement in his eyes. "I've been itching for a good workout."

With a nod, he motioned towards the small training area visible from the window. It was a common place for people to train at. It was a nice enough place but kind of on the lower end of quality.

Goku's anticipation grew as he envisioned the friendly yet intense sparring session they were about to embark upon. He couldn't wait to test his skills against Luvi's and push himself to new limits.

[Illuvia]

“Well, I wanted to talk and train. I’m planning on making a trip to the eternal empire and just wanted to let you know so you didn’t wonder where I was.” She spoke as she stepped inside.

Illuvia eyed the area through the window and nodded. It would do – it wasn’t as if she was planning on a long session. “I think that would be a good idea. It’s a nice convenient little spot.” She sighed, then continued, “I’m not doing so well, mentally at least. Hone has really done a number on my body, as you can see,” she showed off her mutations that had recently developed.

“I think it’s best if I get out of town for a while and collect my thoughts. I’ve also learned some runes I could teach you, if we have time. Anyways, let’s head out?” She’d make her way to the training area and talk along the way.

“So, you want to spar? How good are you with a sword? Or perhaps it was wrong of me to assume your weapon of choice… I like swords, you see. I’ve been practicing a bit with a scythe and I’d really love to get better at hand to hand as well. I feel like I’m finally strong enough with Hone to be a force to be reckoned with. I might not be as strong as you, but even if I’m not, a sword swung at my full strength is going to be pretty deadly no matter what protections are in place.”

Was she being too cocky? She couldn’t tell. She felt like a different person nowadays - Confident, proud, and determined. It helped that she didn’t interact with other mages much so there wasn’t anyone in her day to day life that could hope to beat her in terms of raw strength.

[Goku]

Goku listened attentively to Luvi as she spoke, his expression serious yet supportive. When she finished, he nodded thoughtfully. "A trip to the Eternal Empire, huh? That sounds like a big adventure," he said, stepping back to give her space as she entered. "I'm glad you let me know. I'll definitely miss having you around, but it sounds like it's something you need to do."

He thought that he could maybe go with her but he could not bring himself to ask yet.

He glanced at her mutations, noting the changes with concern but also admiration for her strength. "I can see Hone's taken a toll on you. It's tough, but you’re tougher, Luvi. Sometimes a change of scenery can really help clear your mind."

Goku's eyes lit up at the mention of learning new runes. "I'd love to learn some runes from you! That sounds awesome. But yeah, let's head out and get started."

As they made their way to the training area, Goku thought about her question. "Sparring sounds great! I'm always up for a challenge. As for swords, well, I usually fight hand-to-hand. But I'm always open to trying new things. I’ve dabbled a bit with a staff and some other weapons, but nothing beats the thrill of a good fistfight for me. That being said, I'd love to see you in action with a sword or a scythe. Maybe you can teach me a thing or two."

He smiled, his enthusiasm genuine. "You sound really confident, and that's great. Confidence is important in a fight. Just remember, strength isn't everything. Skill and strategy can make a huge difference, too."

Goku flexed his arms, feeling the familiar excitement of a good training session build up inside him. "Alright, let's do this! Show me what you've got, and I'll give it my all too. Together, we’ll push each other to new limits."

[Illuvia]

“Fist fight it is,” Luvi said with a small chuckle. While Goku started flexing and getting ready, she decided to prepare herself as well. She drained the ether from the runes in her arms, feeling as though it would be unfair for either of them to use runes when they were only just starting out. The problem, as she quickly noticed, was that moving her arms felt difficult. It was an odd sensation, as she normally spent her entire day with runes active. This was the first time she truly realized how handicapped she was without her magic.

“Alright, I’ll start then,” she said as she locked gazes with him.

Still, she held up her hands in what she thought was a defensive stance. Her fists clenched under her chin as she looked Goku over. When he looked ready, she would shuffle her feet towards him. She would start with a few simple jabs with her left fist, finding the weight of her hand hard to stop as quickly as she wanted it to. The attacks were aimed for his chest and were sluggish at best.

She had no intention of stopping after just a few jabs. If not stopped somehow, Luvi would keep jabbing over and over, trying to get the feel of what it was like to operate without her runes. If, for some reason, Goku was set on defending, she would step forward to try grappling the man by wrapping her arms around him. It was a stupid move and she knew it, but she really didn’t want to give him the opportunity to hit her back if she could help it. His muscles were quite large and even without runes she was sure they would hurt like hell. Then again, perhaps he was just as clueless as her.

[Goku]

He stretched his arms and rolled his shoulders, feeling the familiar rush of excitement before a good sparring session. It had been years since he had a proper fight so this was a good ecersize in his opinion. He wanted to use runes but seeing her get rid of hers made him think that he should not. It was for the best because he did not want to accidentally punch her head off which could very well happen if something went wrong.

He assumed a loose, relaxed stance, thinking that of course he would be ready to react to whatever Luvi threw at him. His eyes followed her movements intently as she took her stance and started her approach. He admired her courage, especially considering she was testing herself without her runes.

Goku saw her first few jabs coming and, though he was no expert, he managed to block them with his forearms. He could see that she was adjusting to fighting without her runes, and he respected her for pushing through it.

As she continued to jab at his chest, Goku kept his movements controlled, blocking her strikes and offering gentle corrections.

When she attempted to grapple him, Goku was caught off guard but quickly responded. He felt her arms wrap around him and instinctively grappled her back. Using his weight to his advantage, he pushed forward, feeling the ground under his feet as he tried to maneuver her.

With a grunt, Goku tried to shift his weight and tried to bring both of them to the floor. If she didn’t stop them then they would likely land with a soft thud. He would then move to restrain her, wanting to grab her wrists and pulling her arms up above her head. His grip was firm but not painful, his focus on pinning her effectively.

[Illuvia]

Illuvia was pleased to see that even her sluggish punches seemed to be keeping Goku at bay. Her mutated hands made them heavy, armored even. Realizing that they were effective weapons was a benefit for sure. She kept at it, feeling sweat bead on her forehead even though they’d only just started. Her biceps strained from the effort of keeping her arms lifted and she felt her hands dropping more and more after each punch.

Things went south when she’d tried to grapple Goku. She quickly realized that having a smaller frame made it incredibly difficult to force him to the ground. She pushed with all her might to throw him backwards, so that she could land on top of him, but Goku would have little effort in directing their combined movements.

“You’re so freaking big,” Luvi grunted as her white hair fell in front of her eyes, making it difficult to see. She tried one last time to lift the man off the ground and toss him aside. She felt her back and arms strain under the tension as she tried desperately to hold him still for but a moment… but her legs simply could not generate enough thrust to actually pick him up.

The next thing she knew, it was her who’s feet left the ground. She resisted the urge to scream, instead thinking about how she was going to land. It was sure to be painful so she loosened her body and let the wind get knocked out of her when she did thud onto the ground. She tried to force air back into her lungs but it took a moment. A moment during which Goku easily took control of her arms and held her steady.

“Let me go,” she managed to say when she got a breath in her. She flailed her legs, kicking at him as best she could in order to try forcing herself out of this bind she’d found herself in. She found some leverage, and tried to push the man away from her while simultaneously yanking her arm away.

[Goku]

Goku tightened his grip, feeling Luvi's desperate attempts to free herself. His muscles flexed, the strength in his arms holding her firmly in place. He could see the determination in her eyes, but he was worried she might hurt herself if she continued to struggle so intensely. Goku’s hands firmly restrained Luvi’s wrists, his biceps and forearms visibly straining as he maintained control without causing her pain. He felt her flailing legs and her efforts to push him away, but his larger frame made it relatively easy to keep her pinned. Her kicks landed with little force, more out of desperation than power, and he braced himself to absorb the impacts.

"Luvi," he said through gritted teeth, feeling her attempts grow more frantic, "you're gonna hurt yourself if you keep trying to get out like this." His tone was firm, concern in his words. He watched her flail and push, his own muscles straining to maintain control without causing her any harm.

He could feel her exhaustion setting in, her movements becoming less coordinated and more fatigued. "It's just a sparring match," he reminded her, his voice softer now. "There's no shame in calling it quits when you're caught."

Goku held her arms steady, his grip secure but gentle, ensuring she couldn't break free without putting herself at risk. He looked into her eyes, hoping she understood he was looking out for her well-being. "Come on, Luvi," he said, less a command and more a plea. "Say uncle. It's not worth getting hurt over."

If she conceded, Goku would immediately release her, his grip loosening as he helped her back to her feet. "We can take a break and talk about what worked and what didn’t," he said, ready to continue their training with a focus on learning and improvement. "We've got plenty of time."

[Illuvia]

Despite Luvi’s best efforts, she simply could not best Goku. She didn’t think he was any more skilled than herself, but the differences in their size was far too great. She felt like a feeble plant trying to wrestle against a mighty wind.

“No way, I can get out of this,” she gasped as she somehow found even more energy to expend. She flopped around much like a fish out of water before finally admitting that she’d been defeated. For a moment she just laid there in defeat, considering all the ways that she might be able to trick him into letting her go without officially giving up. That felt like a dirty way to win though, so she eventually let out a sigh and said, “Alright, I give up.”

She let out a sigh of relief when her arms were let go. She could see the spots where she’d been held and hoped that she wouldn’t bruise. She doubted she would, but she’d never been held that tightly during a fight before and certainly not by someone so strong.

Feeling bitter and defeated, Luvi stepped off to the side to drink some water. She knew she had no right to feel this way and did her best to suppress her negative emotions. It wouldn’t be fair if she ruined a friendship over something so silly as a spar. It took a few minutes but she forced herself to be calm enough to hide her true feelings.

When she was done drinking, she would walk back over to Goku and say, “you’re stronger than I thought. Next round though, I want to use swords.” She eyed the practice swords off to the side and wondered if he would take her up on her offer. She had a gut feeling that her victory was all but assured.

[Goku]

Goku felt concern as he watched Luvi struggle beneath his grip. Had he held her too tightly? He wondered if he should have let her escape. He wasn't an experienced fighter, and if he could pin her, it meant she might not have had much experience herself. He knew all too well what it felt like to fail and feel bad about it. When she finally conceded, he released her immediately, hoping he hadn’t hurt her pride or worse, her arms.

He watched as she lay there for a moment, catching her breath and considering her next move. She didn't seem overly upset, which relieved him. He was genuinely happy to see that she wasn’t taking it too hard. Luvi stepped aside to drink some water, and Goku took a moment to reflect on the match. Despite his lack of skill, his size had given him an unfair advantage. He resolved to work on his technique more, to be better prepared for the next time they sparred.

Goku grinned, his enthusiasm returning. "I'd love to give it a go with a sword," he replied, feeling a spark of excitement at the prospect of trying something new. He walked over to the rack of practice swords, his hand hovering over the hilts as he chose one.

He was about to pick one up but he saw a sign that said RESERVED. He questioned someone nearby who confirmed those were not to be used at the moment.

“They said we can’t use those and now that I think about it, I have to get to work soon anyway so I shouldn’t get too tired. Yes I’m chickening out of our rematch,” he added with a laugh. He was not a brave man and he was not afraid to admit it. The tension from their earlier match seemed to have dissipated.

“I will spar with you, but how about tomorrow?” he would say before patting her on the shoulder and heading to work.