Seeing Red (Martial Arts Club) (Akuma/Tomomi)

Seven Stars Academy... a place that Akuma never thought he would end up attending after all the shit he had been through. Supposedly Endymion city was hard enough to be allowed residence in, but here he was. His father's 'connections' allowed him to live there and give him a new beginning.

The son of a crime boss was not glossy-- even as a kid, Akuma had been through a hell of its own, even after the Calamity happened. But that was life.

The broodish-looking red head of a man rested against the door of the academy's hall. It was an odd school-- a huge complex of schools meshed together into what he would of considered a small town. It had everyone from elementary school, high school-- and of course a university college as well. Since this was the only truely functioning city, it made sense they would make a college here as well.

And that was where Akuma was now. Dressed in his college uniform, blaiser carelessly opened and shirt sticking out, he had a very tough appearance that kept most away. And it didn't stop the rumors from floating around.

For the time being, he kept to himself and kept quiet in class. He did his work where he could, but even the teachers didn't really want to get too involved with him. They knew where he came from...

"What a drag..." he sighed.

Man, he could use a smoke about now...

Biting his lip to control the nicotine drive, he hoped he could burn off some energy in martial arts club.

He tried to not be embarrassed being such an odd one in the group. For now he waited-- to meet the president so he could formally join beyond just a pen and paper signature...

With a light exhale, Tomomi stood in front of the mats he'd just finished re-spreading out ready for the Martial Arts session that was booked for today. Stretching out with a yawn, the boy moved his hand from his mouth to his forehead to wipe away the single bead of sweat that had formed from lugging the mats about, and stacking the chairs out of the way. Tomomi wasn't the strongest person in the world, far from it, which never really helped when it came to having to set things up through manual labour.

Regardless, here he was, the job of setting up early done. So, with a less than gentle thud, he allowed himself to plod down onto the mats below, sitting down with the grace of a drowning elephant, before readjusting himself to be resting his weight on his legs, feet tucked behind him, and simply staring at the clock before he shut his eyes. Gii on, brown belt wrapped around his waist. Now to just... Wait.

Except, turns out he wouldn't be waiting long, at the sound of someone heading to the door. Confused, Tomomi stood up from his carefully seated position, walking over to slide open the door, and look at the red haired person standing there. Looking up at them, Tomomi tilted his head. "Um... Hello? Uh... W-welcome to the Martial Arts club mister uh... Um, can I help you?"

The sound of the thud was clear as AKuma had reached the room dressed in his gi-- red belt around his waist as he stopped. He was about to enter till the door opened and showed the person inside. He greeted with a somewhat hesitant tone. Akuma's reaction was almost stone-blank like his most common reaction. The person was surprising lithe-- clearly not someone that shared his same weight class when it came to muscle. That and he was a head taller than him too.

Seriously, he thought in surprise. "Um... " Akuma started, unsure how to begin but decided to be direct. "I'm here for the Martial Arts club...? " He said, somewhat hesitant. "The name's Akuma. First year, Seven Star University class. "

He still felt out of place, being so much older. He didn't even know if his skill level was even better than this guy. His father did teach him martial arts a while ago. It wasn't easy... being the son of a crime boss.

"I really hope this isn't going to be a problem, with me being older here. This was the only club I felt I could really join despite me in the University side of things." he explained, "Still, I know my shit."

Akuma felt pretty confident in his skill, but he would have to learn the ropes anyway from the president here... and his other peers.

Looking up at the other person, Tomomi listened quietly for a moment, taking in what they said, and also taking in how much taller they were than Tomomi. At their introduction and explanation of their concerns, Tomomi shook his head, before speaking up in reply. "Ah, um, welcome Akuma? Well, I can say that being older won't be a problem... I mean, age at the academy isn't generally a problem on its own, but, the martial arts club is welcome to all ages of people, so long as you've um, filled in the form and signed up, while also um, you know, being a member of the academy in the first place... That being said..."

Coughing, Tomomi gestured to the empty hall. "I'm afraid you're... A fair bit early. The club doesn't start until a bit later I'm afraid, so, um... Unless you haven't signed the form yet, I'm afraid there's not a lot to do right now? O-oh, but, um, if you haven't signed the form, we can sort that out quickly if you want! Get that paper work stuff out of the way and all that!" The boy declared, voice ranging from fast to slow as he spoke, nodding his head emphatically.

The timid tone of the other guy seemed a little irksome to Akuma but he tried his best to keep it under wraps. He seemed like a decent guy. It seemed he was uncomfortable-- he sure hoped it had nothing to do with him. He had a bad enough rep from what floated around, him being the son of a crime boss. If anything he got here to start his own life-- but that aside, he did seem intimidated.

"I'm not gonna bit or anything..." he grumbled a bit with a sigh, rubbing the back of his head. "I signed in a while ago. Anyway, I just hoped to get an early jump. By the way, why the hell are we in a cramped room instead of the gym. Wouldn't that be a better place for the club?"

Akuma didn't mince words, though he probably should have been a bit more tactful than he normally was. Either way, he wasn't trying to pick any fights-- despite it was a martial arts club.

"Heh, well if you got time to kill, mind telling me what you guys do here besides regular routines?" he asked, "And if you need any help... I can at least do some set ups."

Tomomi listened to the man's inquisitive question, thinking on how best to answer. Then, with a shrug, he spoke up, continuing to look up at the tall dude, not understanding at all the comment about biting and so not paying it any heed. "Well, um... As far as I'm aware, it's just a thing about room assignments? Like, say it rains, clubs that do stuff like running, or basketball, would I think need more room? While we in the Martial Arts club aren't really as big or popular of a club, and we also don't need as much space, since we aren't expecting huge amounts of moving around beyond what we have... So, um, I guess that might be why? It's fine either way, since we manage and all, so, I would not worry about it." The boy declared with a nod.

At the question about routine and offer for aid in setting up, Tomomi shook his head. "I've already done all the setting up, but, um, thank you for the offer. As for what we do... Well, what we first do is we start with warm ups, so, a bit of jogging, push ups, sit ups, star jumps... Then we do stretches to make sure there's less chance of pulling a muscle... Once we've done that, well, it varies on what the plan for the day is... So, um, for instance, today, the plan is to focus on what's called break falling... Which is, um, well, the act of making sure you fall safely, and is the main thing you need to know for throwing martial arts like Judo... Can't learn to throw if you don't know how to be thrown, I guess? Um... So yeah..."

Akuma listened carefully, though his expression seemed 'lazy' in his stupid roguish image. He closed his eyes a moment as he recalled his own pratice. He was no stranger to judo as he did learn how to throw a person. "Breaking an enemy stance and using leverage and weight to throw them to the ground," Akuma commented as he broke down the method. "Yeah, I'm familiar with that. Though usually, I am the one doing the throwing," he added with a smirk, enjoying when he could throw someone to the ground that tried to overpower him.

"I'm no stranger to martial arts. I have been doing it since I was younger," he explained as he sat cross-legged on the mat. "Either way, sounds good. Just hope it is a bit exciting every once in a while here." His tone was very chill but not unfriendly. Either way, he wasn't trying to belittle Tomomi.

With a roll motion, he rose back to his feet. "Well, I suppose I should start warming up. Looking forward to start," he said, an eager look in his eyes. "Let me know when you want to start. Are there alot of other members in this club?" he asked.

As he waited he started to stretch out, using long-legged crouches and got his arms moving to start the warm up. He would jog as instructed-- but hard to hold a conversation while running.

Tomomi really had no idea how to talk to this guy. And this wasn't merely a case of how much older he was than the poor boy, but also how much his voice was more... Assertive than Tomomi's. His description of Judo was far different from how Tomomi would have explained it, and his smirk filled statement about being the one that throws others was something that... Disconcerted Tomomi a tad. After all, martial arts wasn't just about fighting. Quite the opposite actually.

At the question and the clear desire to start soon, Tomomi rubbed at the back of his neck. "Well um... The others should be here in about an hour I think... As for how many members we have... Um... Well, we're not the largest club, but we aren't small either... I'd say on a normal day, we have about eight to fifteen members participating, so the space isn't much of an issue... It all kind of, um, varies depending on who comes? Like, um, if there's an event going on elsewhere, or say a cadet or someone that's a part of the club is otherwise preoccupied, then um... Yeah, it's more quiet... Likewise, if other clubs are cancelled, we may have people that come over to check it out, so... Um... It tends to vary..."

As Akuma started jogging, Tomomi tilted his head, and just kind of watched for a moment, trying to work up the courage to say something. Pretty much anything. Then, with a cough, Tomomi spoke up. "Um... Like I said... The uh... The club's not until an hour away..."

The hesitation on the younger kid made Akuma feel like he mouthed off again. He knew he couldn't act so tough and frighten off people. Growing up around gangsters really sort of made him rough around the edges. He just had to try and tone it down. Either way, the news that it wasn't the most popular or there was time free-- Akuma felt like he just stuck his own foot in his mouth being an hour early.

He stopped exercising. "You kidding me?" he groaned, a little annoyed-- but not at Tomomi but himself for being too proactive. "Damnit... Well, if we got that much time to kill, you want to spar a bit? " he offered.

Something did make him curious. "Cadets? What the hell are Cadets?" he asked, not sure about them by name.

There was a lot that just happened that surprised Tomomi. Firstly, there was the frustrated groan regarding the fact that he was too early. While it may not have been directed at him, Tomomi felt himself grow a bit intimidated by it regardless. Then, the sudden declaration of wanting to spar, said in such a way that to Tomomi, it was more akin to a demand than a suggestion. Most surprising though, was Akuma's lack of knowledge on who the Cadets were. Tomomi... Definitely wanted to address that first.

"You uh... You don't know who the Cadets are?" The boy asked, careful with how he phrased it. While he himself wasn't the most... Avid supporter of the Cadets, mostly due to the fact that he himself was technically wanted by them whether they knew it or not, the last thing Tomomi could do was be... Anything but complimentary about them. Especially at the Academy.

Coughing, Tomomi readjusted the gii's collar slightly, before continuing. "The Cadets are like... Um... Police, I guess would be a close comparison? They work directly for the Government and the Queen to protect the city and reassure the public that things are okay... Um, they, uh... I don't know personally much about their inner actions, since, I'm not a cadet, don't have the skills to be a cadet, and don't have the courage to want to be a cadet, but um... They also protect the borders and stuff from super natural crazy things... So um... I-I'm surprised you didn't know about them... Focused a bit hard on your studies? A-ah, never mind..."

At this, Tomomi let out an exhale, wanting to move on. "As for a spar... Um... Sure, but, um, I need to make sure I'm filled with enough energy for the club itself, so... First to three points, we'll do light contact sparring... Points are obtained by striking the opponent on the chest, fore arm, or back. No serious fighting or going for full blows, and only using your legs to move. No going below the belt, or for the face... Deal?"

"Oh, you mean those anti-demon police guys? There a part of this academy?" he asked, somewhat surprised but on the other hand, not that super curious. "I mean, I knew about them but not by name. Let alone they are students or members of them involved with this school. Huh, who knew."

Akuma shrugged and flexed his arms a bit to loosen up. "Guess there are plenty of things going on in this damn city. Certainly not home..." he said, "Anyway I try not to take the news and rumors at full value. You know, enough drama going on as it is."

He shook his head, not wanting to think about such things. He hated to discuss politics or shit he couldn't change. What was he, the son of a crime boss, could do in either way, after all?

Either way, even Tomomi seemed a bit stressed by the nature of the cadets. "Sorry, didn't mean to drop a bomb like that, I guess..." he said and stood up to listen to Tomomi'soffer to spar. The need to preserve his energy was understood and Akuma nodded to this. "Sounds fair."

The rules were pretty straightforward. First to land three strikes to the key spots on the body, using only feet to move, so pretty much a boxing angle of how to get around. No serious force was understandable... but Akuma always had a problem to hold back his physical strength. Nothing serious, but if he got too into it, his speed would translate into force. After all, all his practice before required him to go all out...

"I'll do my best. Just one round then," he said, and of course he nodded at the other deal. "Yeah don't worry. I'm a hardass but I'm not that cruel..." he said and took up a fighting stance. His stance was firm with one leg forward, and the other behind in a crouch to keep his balance and firm to the mat. He rose his arms with his palms open-- a means to strike him but not hit him with his fists. He knew how to deflect things, blocking with the open hand a fundamental to martial arts. Still, he waited for his opponent to get ready before he even entertained the thought to strike first.

Tomomi opted to try to... Pretend he hadn't heard some of those comments. He tried to avoid drama in his life, and hearing that this adult had a bunch going on? Tomomi was still a kid, so, this was a conversation topic he was going to avoid like the plague. Then, as the taller person adjusted into a stance, Tomomi nodded, doing the same himself with his legs in the standard T position, shoulder length apart, right foot forward and left taking most of his weight. His shoulders and hands mimicked this, with his right arm forward, and left arm near his chest, the whole thing seeming like a very one dimensional posture

"R-right... W-well, begin!" He declared, not moving and opting to let Akuma make the first move.

The start of the sparring made Akuma's muscles almost twitch, his own intention to start. Normally he would have struck without hesitation, but in a match-- one on one, he knew to read his opponent. Still, neither one seemed like they wanted to be foolish to make the first move. He seemed so timid it was hard to imagine how much this person could do. Akuma exhaled through his nose as he felt the burn in his muscles...

... and stepped forward with a strike. Open palmed, he thrust his arm forward like a spear-- palm open to strike him square in the chest. All the while he kept his eyes on his opponent's eyes and his upper limbs. Though if he retaliated, he could act properly to dodge and move around. IN one on one, its easy for an enemy to not move and try different angles, but if things progressed he could slide to either side on the mat.

All the while that burning drive in his body tingled in him... the urge to cut loose and let out more power. But he couldn't do that. Not against this kid.

Tomomi watched as Akuma stepped forward, palm thrusting towards Tomomi's chest. A standard technique that to Tomomi, signified that Akuma was more of the mindset of aiming for vitals. Almost out of instinct, Tomomi adjusted his posture, spinning his entire body so that his right leg was now behind him by allowing his weight to rest entirely on his left heel. As the palm strike aimed for his chest, Tomomi drifted his left hand to intercept, aiming to halt the blow entirely as Tomomi now began to rotate on his right heel, seeming to rotate back to the same facing, however now a couple of feet back, chest now just out of Akuma's arms reach.

From Tomomi's experience, someone that aimed for the vitals was much easier to beat than someone who didn't. After all, you could predict where they'd strike, where they'd aim. The chest was a larger target, and more open. But if you were aware of that fact, it was also easier to defend it, in a way making the smaller targets like the forearms easier to hit than the chest.

Akuma had to admit-- this kid was light on his feet and fast by nature. Yes, Akuma's fighting style was a bit more aggressive in his approach, but he never liked to play defense too much. But by no means was he not smart enough to respond to that move. He stepped right up, closing the gap quickly to keep up even while his jab was out of reach. By isolating the space between them, you not only could strike, but you effectively made his means to block a lot harder.

This time, he aimed to strike not at the chest, but his left shoulder-- a natural blind spot as many didn't try to guard or respond fast enough on their left than their right.

Tomomi's methodology was not wrong, but Akuma knew about targets of opportunity. So he struck for the shoulder next, attemtping to give it a firm but subtle grip to indicate his strike on the target zone.

A subtle grin showed on his face, his blood pumping with the excitement of the fight.