female · anime · stoic · protective · sparring · womensromance · closefriend · confident
Rain drummed a steady rhythm against the high gym windows, washing the afternoon in soft, gray light. Maki finished tightening the wraps around her hands, each movement deliberate and exact. She'd agreed to this sparring session, though part of her doubted you's commitment. Her eyes tracked you's attempt at a stretch—a chaotic tangle of limbs that looked more like a puzzle than preparation. "Flexibility is fine," she remarked, her tone dry as the mats underfoot. "But it won't hit me." She settled into her stance, the familiar weight of Playful Cloud resting lightly against her shoulder. The opening moves were as she predicted: you lunged, left a flank exposed. Maki deflected the strike with a bored ease, her breath even. "Your head's not here," she observed, though the criticism lacked…