Evasive Maneuvers

Being a Martial Artist is not only attacking your opponent with punches and kicks, and most people seem to forget that isn't all about what martial art is. Sure, it's wicked to use any branch of fighting techniques but dodging attacks from enemies is also part of martial arts training. You might be surprised because when Griseldis first started her Kung Fu training, her grandfather did a reversed lesson where he wanted his granddaughter to learn the evade techniques before teaching her how to fight against her opponent. The young Griseldis didn't quite understand why. Just like any other children, they all thought you would first learn how to fight, and evading didn't come to their mind at all.

It was obvious that the evasion techniques were slightly harder than she imagined, her grandfather always reminded her that she needed to make sure to master how to determine her distance and defense moves first. The clueless Griseldis followed her grandfather to a forest and did her evade training there every morning. The first evade training was to try dodging the swinging logs and she wasn't allowed to leave the circle that was drawn on the ground. The second evade training was to dodge every single pebble stone-throwing at her while she was standing on the bamboo raft that was not big enough for her to have space to dodge anywhere, one misstep and she would fall into the river water. And her third evade training was that she could only dodge her grandfather's attacks while her hands were tied behind her back. Luckily, her grandfather let her wear protective sparring gear so she wouldn't get hurt too much when she couldn't dodge.

She didn't succeed well in the beginning and kept being hit by the logs, accidentally tripped into the water when trying to dodge a pebble stone, and often got swiped off her feet by her grandfather's unpredictable attacks and fell on the hard ground. Griseldis still didn't want to give up no matter how harsh the training was and her grandfather was quite impressed by his granddaughter's determination and resilience. He then told her:

"Listen to the wind. Feel the flow of the water. Be one with the earth."

Remembering those wise words her grandfather gave her during the training, it took days and weeks of practice for her to finally enhance her physical reflexes.

Even though Griseldis was often clumsy but only in certain situations when it was really serious or dangerous. The evade training she did in the past would come in handy and might save her from powerful attacks in the future.

Word Count: 437

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Rafael… he really did worry about his classmates sometimes.

It was, he supposed in hindsight, a mutual feeling, one shared by most of those attending the British School of Magic. And who with a right soul wouldn’t? After all, it was becoming quite a normal occurrence to face near-death experiences, fight monsters, and face off with fellow students in the halls of the old castle, a small fact that tugged at the mind of the young Captain as he drifted off to sleep each night. A dangerous environment it was – and the young man would know well, having grown up in the streets of Buenas Aires, Argentina. Only the dangerous, only the unruly thrived in such environments, while others shrunk into solitude, hiding themselves from a disastrous relationship with Lady Danger. And Rafael knew he could survive, of course, having faith in his own abilities, his instinct to survive.

He was more than capable of defending himself from the horrors of the school of magic. But could he protect his classmates from himself?

The Blossom Ball was a… well, it was a memorable evening for the young Captain, one Rafael wouldn’t be able to forget for a long time. Though the dance had taken place many months prior to the present day, the sounds of screaming, images of the monstrous creatures, the… the flames… they were stained in his mind in glorious HD, as if they had only just happened before his eyes – it was, in its simplest form, a feeling the young man hated above all else, a sickly, poisonous sense of disgust that sat deep in his chest like a bad case of pneumonia, forever cursing him to anxiousness, brash actions, ill thinking. It had always been the Fernandez way, the boy supposed, letting others down. His parents had done it enough to him to have taught him that much. Even so, the act of ignorance would never sit right with the boy, nor would his selfish desire for success. The heart was, after all, a selfish creature, or at least, this is what the boy had reasoned vainly one evening as he laid in his bed in Barking.

However, it wouldn’t be until the school year had properly begun that he’d taken an interest in a solution.

It would, in fact, be such reasoning that would follow the young man to the Quidditch Pitch one fateful day, the new school year having just dawned on the child as he journeyed out to practice his skills on the playing field. Alas, clutching his birthday gift between his rough hands and chocolate eyes darting around the terrain that was the Pitch, the concept would slip into his consciousness like a fresh breeze – what if he could? Save them, he meant? What if, instead of being the bane of those around him, he could be the hero? The very one those around him could count on to be there when they needed it the most? This was the birth of a new concept, one that would hopefully come as a helpful to his teammates. The training would start that very day, the boy deciding to forego all other maneuvers in the name of one specific defensive one – drill after drill after drill, blood, sweat, and tears he’d put into his labor, pushing himself to be the best he could be for his teammates, his friends…. and no, the maneuver he sought to learn wouldn’t be an easy one, especially to a child so gifted in putting himself first on the field. Yet, in the midst of his exhaustion, his very grip waning on the broom he so errantly clutched, he would not give up. For there was only one thing that mattered at this point – rescuing his mates.

It wouldn’t be until after the first Quidditch game that he’d properly master the maneuver. During a solo practice a couple evenings after the event, he would finally discover an inkling of familiarity within the maneuver as he twisted about on his broom… so, his toil had finally paid off. “Good,” he would mutter to himself in determination. Good, because with this newfound skill, never again would another friend find themselves imperiled by his hand… in the least, not on the Quidditch Pitch. He found a bit of peace in that revelation, an inkling of solace in his own ability to rescue another from the dangerous scene where the blood of schoolmates still stained the dirt. It was an occupational hazard, he decided, one that made the game an adventure. And a right adventure it would be.
Because it didn’t matter who fell. Rafael would catch them.[775w]

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The sapphire starlight was once a treasured friend of Lace's, but as she aged, the obsidian sky haunted her time of wake. The doctors called them night terrors, bursts of fear that came with visions of darkness. Though evil was not all that she saw in her sleep, at times she saw light, even hope. Quickly fear became her friend, her alley during these midnight crusades. Her mother Hannah, tried very hard to seep into her pool of denial, into her pit of unease. Though the causes of her terrors' were never truly solved, the girl learned to cope. She found hope in the day and happiness in the light. The morning was her sanctuary. As the sun crept in her window, her eyes fluttered awake the promise of a restful mind would finally be hers.

It would take years for her to be capable of rest again. Long days and longer nights filled the Koin household. Her grandmother thought her to be damaged, cursed by something truly wicked. She was just a scared girl, unready and unsure of what she was meant to see. In time she would discover that she was truly gifted, beyond that of an average witch. She had the ability to see beyond the present, gain insight into the future, and with that knowledge, manipulate the coming events. Though her family was naïve to this gift, as it was such a rarity, so for now it would go undiagnosed.

Physically she was normal, well as normal as the next girl, but at times it was like she could sense when she was in danger. As a child she once used her intuition to save her kin. The Koin family was out on an average outing, on an average day, driving their less than average car. They took the route they always had, which happened to cross over the tracks of a train. As the car approached the tracks, no train in site, the shrill of the girl caused her father to slam his foot against the brake. Just moments before they would have been on the tracks. Alarmed they turn to look at her, though she seemed unbothered. Seconds after the large arm that blocked the tracks begins to fall and the sounding of a bell rang within their ears. A train was coming, had she not alerted them, they may have been on those tracks at a disastrous time.

Her parents chalked it up to coincidence, as the girl was hardly old enough to read at the time. Though it was something within her that told her to shout, or tragedy would become them. It was moments like this that would continue to happen in her life, some thought it to be dumb luck, or a guardian angel. Though truly it was her gift, a rarity of wonders. With it she would one day be able to mold the future to her liking, be the champion of her own story. For now she was a young girl who attends the school of Hogwarts, unsure of her true potential.

Name | Lily Cawthi
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Name of Ability or Race/Talent that you Are Applying for | Metamorphmagus
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Name of Ability that you Are Applying for: Lovely Creature
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Family genetics, fashion style, mannerisms or not, Adonis has always had a irresistible appeal to the eyes of others. Perhaps it came with the name 'Adonis', a prominent figure in his own story of a Greek myth that was known for his beauty and the mortal lover of Aphrodite. Or maybe it didn't. Either way, one could most likely agree that Adonis' looks and presence certainly went with the name he was given. Adonis Caspian Thorn. The first two were noble and had a sense of entitlement to it for him, of course. The latter... not so much. He was also born to beautiful families on either side. Although, the father's side could be disagreed upon possibly due to their gothic aesthetic, but were good looking nonetheless. His mother's side had a mix of reddish-brown hair with either blue or grey colored eyes, aside from his mother whom surprisingly landed with a light brown. As for his father's side, they seemed to all usually carry some sort of facial hair, dark brown or black hair for the most part with hazel colored eyes.

Being raised in a pure-blood household, he was taught the proper etiquette and mannerisms as one would, the performing arts, how to dress himself nicely, etc. Everything that he was taught was to make himself stand out, to be able to make his presence known the second he stepped foot in a room, to draw the attention of another away from their current interaction and towards him, to command the attention that most would crave. This is what he was taught. At least he was taught this from the Lancier's due to spending every winter and summer break with them. His parents were much different in their teachings and ways. Less traditional to be exact. His parents didn't exactly agree with how the Lancier's did things and Adonis was to never get near the Thorn's because his father steered clear from them.

Adonis didn't mind any of the things he was taught though, he never even intended to do or act the way he was taught to by the Lancier's, it just came rather natural and instinctual to him that he was to be made a distracting person to look at. The young Thorn never seems to notice all the much either when others stare at him while passing through the halls to go from one area to the next. He was oblivious half the time to say the least, but there have been times where he's caught people looking at him and would in turn just simply smile at them. Luckily enough, Adonis got the best of both sides of his family. Perfectly colored brown hair, light golden brown eyes with a perfect amount of hints of green, a nice light tan color, NOT a big nose, shaped eyebrows, and enough fat on his lips to where they were far from being two mere red colored lines.

With the performing arts that he was taught from a young age, he learned how to do a variety of things. How to sing, play instruments, and even ballroom dancing. The playing instruments part he had forgotten for the most part by now. But the singing and ballroom dancing? He absolutely loved and he most certainly knew how to keep not only his partner's eyes set on him the entire time but also the entire room those who would watch him elegantly dance, commanding to rest all of their eyes on him and only him. He made sure his beauty was not known only through his physical appearance but also the things he did.

WC: 607

Statistics

Stamina: 6
Evasion: 3
Strength: 2
Wisdom: 9
Arcane Power: 7
Accuracy: 8

Link to your encyclopedia thread:Maria Maria
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Maria’s innate intuition has always given her an uncanny natural timing. Growing up, even as a small child, she almost always was able to be where she needed be, when she wanted to be. The several times she was able to steal the occasional sweet from their pantry for example, was a result of her always being able to maneuver their kitchen counters and cabinets. She always knew when it was best to do it too, when her mother Laura would take her shower before leaving almost every 8AM after feeding her daughter. This “talent” was enough to make Laura silently curse the day when she learned how to get around on her own. It was a relief to the mother that she no longer needed to carry around a heavy baby, the fact that she was as slippery as wet soap made for a different problem. This was how she’d find her small daughter out of her bedroom and outside her mother’s bedroom door. When she got a little older, or sometimes she’d end up in her father’s study, often going there undetected to read after bed time.

As she got older and her interests and curiosities shifted more towards books and individual activities, these shenanigans lessened. Her intuitions however, didn’t necessarily go away. She had moments where she could easily avoid falling things in the nick of time, like falling glasses at the diner for example. If anything, they were only amplified. Several hours doing laps around pools preparing for competitions enforced fluidity in Maria’s muscles, helping her move seamlessly through the water. Sure she wasn’t the most grace thing to grace dry land, but some of the reflexes just seemed to translate.

When her mother realized that Maria had picked up her father’s habits of staying inside with stacks of books, she made an effort to take the young girl out for nature walks. Weekend trips to mountainous terrains meant Maria eventually became adept at avoiding different obstacles. Maneuvering herself around rocks and trees, jumping around on boulders became just as easy as walking, and she was just as fluid as she would be in the water.

Given of course, she wasn’t distracted. There have been times where being in her own head has worked against her favor, dulling the sense and just making her clumsily bump into things or fall into things. This intuition may still be a bit raw and uncultivated and she has yet to master it but it’s gotten her out of more unsavory situations that she could count.

WORD COUNT: 426

Stats: Stamina 7 || Evasion 6 || Strength 5 || Wisdom 8 || Arcane Power 6 || Accuracy 8