dreamcrystals | first journal entry ⚔ expedition and sparring

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first journal entry ⚔ expedition and sparring

Sender: Rokurou Rangetsu
To: Everyone
Subject: Expedition and potential sparring partners

Hey guys! That was a crazy feast. All that was missing was some good alcohol, but those tapirs really know how to throw a party.

Anyway, I was thinking and we don't really know much about this place or what's outside the town. Since we'll need to start heading into the forests for hunting and gathering other resources, was thinking of heading out to check it out. Plus aren't these fae things our neighbors now? Or I guess we're their new neighbors...? Can't hurt to see what's there.

There are also those redcaps we need to deal with if we want any iron. I'm not sure about anyone else, but as a swordsman I definitely have a vested interest in that.

...And maybe I want to see how tough they are, haha.

Yeah, okay, I just want to see what kind of tough monsters are out there, heh. Not that I want to make enemies out of allies, but never hurts to know what kind of threats there are, right? Who knows, we might be helping them out, too.

[No, he just wants to find the biggest and strongest thing there is and fight it.]

Speaking of, if anyone needs a sparring partner, I'm your daemon. I'm curious to see how my skills stack up against those from different worlds.

[ooc: everyone can threadjack and thread with each other to share or discuss any other ideas! I also have an OOC planning post of sorts for players to chime in with suggestions.]

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Let's hope you're not making promises you can't keep. I'm pretty goddamn demanding.

[why are they both like this]

I'm a man of my word. But you're the one keeping me waiting.

[why indeed sob]

Not for long!

[Her voice rings out from a good distance behind him— he'd been easy to spot in the field he'd mentioned, even from a ways away— and even from where he stands, he'll see her journal go flying only to hit the ground as she draws both of her swords and leans forward to run towards him at top speed, ready to launch herself at him the moment the distance is closed.]

[Whoa—! Since he had been focused on the journal he had been a bit distracted, but the moment her fighting intent spikes up he immediately picks up on it.

Unceremoniously his own journal drops before he immediately unsheathes his swords, turning just in time for their blades to clash against each other.]

Hah, nice entrance!

[And he'll push her forcefully back.]

[Guess that's both a perk and a drawback to a place where people's thoughts and energy can become tangible in a way— no sneaking up on anyone. Fortunately, Kainé's never been one for stealth, anyway. Not her style.

She grins sharply as their swords meet, both of hers crossed in front of her as they clash against his own.]

Nice reflexes!

[Oh, this is gonna be fun.

There's some give when he pushes her, but not much— her resistance is surprisingly high for someone her size, and her grin hitches wider as she looks him over before dropping downwards to disengage, vaulting herself backwards to reassess.]

Stronger than you look, too!

[Promising.]

[To be fair (or unfair), his sense of danger/killing intent is a little sharper as a daemon.]

I can't really decide if I should take that as a compliment or be a little insulted.

[But he just laughs as he resituates his stance, the grip on his swords firming up now that he's had a chance to properly assess things.]

But you're not half bad yourself!

[And then he lunges forward with incredible speed, flames sparking around his blades as he moves. Whether that's part of an arte or his emotions...will be found out soon enough. What's probably more interesting is how his right eye glows as the heat of battle ignites within him.]

Maybe a little of both!

[She's not usually this talkative while fighting— well, conversational, since there are usually plenty of expletives, but after the shit couple of days she's head, she's all for blowing off some steam. Even better that it's with someone who seems like they're going to enjoy it just as much as she is.

The eye does catch her attention even as she raises both blades to block him horizontally, though only just. The flames burn hot, but she's felt worse, and in turn, black markings begin to make themselves visible on her skin, the bared parts of her arms and shoulders suddenly covered in what looks like scrawled hieroglyphics while thick black smoke starts to rise from them in tendrils.]

Neat trick!

[She pushes back forcefully, her own blades beginning to glow bright in response, a shade of light blue bordering on blinding white that contrasts sharply with his own flames. She pulls one blade out of their brief deadlock, going in for a low jab.]

[Rokurou watches the change on her arms in fascination, but still maintaining focus on the fight. As their blades clash, he can feel the strength behind them and continues to be impressed by her skills. And when she goes for the low jab, he's forced to bring down his own blade for a quick parry before needing to jump back to readjust his stance.]

If I didn't know any better, I would have thought you were a daemon like me!

[And now he lunges in for a quick assault with a series of strikes with his blades, each one more unrelenting than the last.]

[Even as she parries his blows, his strength and relentless speed carry through— she finds herself pushed back several steps by the force of it, but her grin only grows wider in the process, sharper, and she changes her angle to attempt to knock one of his swords out of his grip with a sudden strike intended to disarm.]

Maybe we have more shit in common than we thought!

[That last word is more of a grunt as she vaults herself forward, putting all of her strength behind her blades in order to gain some ground, to push him back instead with her own flurry of attacks.]

[Oof. That disarming move packed a lot of force and came in fast, so his blade does indeed fly and spin out before embedding into the ground. But rather than look displeased, Rokurou just grins in return, excitement rushing through his veins. It's been a while since he faced such a strong and skilled adversary. Even if she were to beat him, he honestly wouldn't care.

But of course, he wouldn't let such an outcome happen so easily, and he's still in it to win. Despite losing the blade, he just immediately switches his stance, both hands gripping the hilt as he parries and blocks her blows. If anything, it might actually be easier like this as he can just make minimal movements when he can.

And then at the second to last strike, there's a subtle shift of his stance as he enters into a counter stance, and on the last strike he parries and darts forward, a cyclone forming in his wake.]

[The continued exchange of blows is so satisfying that Kainé finds herself not paying a whole lot of attention to who has the upper hand at any given time— they seem to be pretty damn well evenly matched, which is about as pleasant as surprises get, in her opinion. The only person she's ever known to be able to keep up with her is Nier, and given his relationship with that floating dictionary of his, he's something of a special case— but this is enough to get her heart racing, her blood pumping— and something else stirring, as well.

"Would you look at that, Sunshine? His tricks might even be better than ours!"

Tyrann's voice is an unwelcome hiss at the back of her mind as it so often is, and she shoves it aside even as Rokurou parries another of her blows. His careful movements are a sharp contrast to her violent and undisciplined swings, but no less effective for it— especially when he does take her by surprise with that cyclone.]

What the fuck—?!

[And, before she can say anything more, she's swept off her feet and carried upwards, her grip on one of her blades slipping— though not so much that she can't aim it towards Rokurou as it flies out of her hand.]

As soon as I get down from here, your ass is mine!

[He's already facing towards her, so he just laughs as he watches her fly up and then try to aim at him. He has to swing his blade to deflect it, but it does come pretty close.]

Don't have those kind of artes back in your world, huh?

That's what you call art?!

[Yeah, there's a definite disconnect there— but she manages to contort herself enough to escape the whirlwind and land in a low crouch, one leg bent beneath her. One of her swords is now on the ground a few feet off, thanks to his deflection, but she still has one left.]

Only way to pull off something like that where I'm from is to have a little Shade in you!

[Or a lot— but her remark is accompanied by a sharp smile as she stands and raises her free hand to erect a barrier of blue-tinged light in front of herself, before a number of projectiles made of that same energy erupt from behind it, heading straight towards him in an arc.]

Edited 2021-10-09 00:07 (UTC)

[They're both down one sword, but that clearly won't deter either of them.]

Dunno what a Shade is, but I'm a daemon, does that count?

[A laugh as he readies himself to see what she pulls off next. And he's not disappointed. He can't be certain he'll be able to deflect them, so although he has his blades to do so, he instead resorts to evading, using his speed and jumping if needed to avoid the projectiles.]

Guess we'll find out!

[The name 'daemon' doesn't mean a damn thing to her, but there's no denying he's strong, and that's what actually matters— what holds her interest. Smart, the way he evades rather than counting on being able to dodge, and she uses the opportunity to break in the opposite direction of her projectiles in an attempt to cut him off, dropping low to slide towards him as she swings her sword in a broad arc.]

[Seeing her come in, after the last projectile he adjust his stance and brings his blade so that it will meet hers and use the momentum to push himself, flipping in midair to create some distance and so that he can better orient himself for the inevitable follow up.]

[It's quickly becoming apparent to her— possibly to both of them— that they could go on like this for quite a while. No matter which side it originates from, every attack is met with a counter or evade of some sort, and while it might be frustrating if it were a real fight, in the context of sparring, it manages to be exhilarating instead.

His evasive maneuver is quick and seamless, and within the space of a heartbeat, she's back on her feet, prepared to charge towards him— but she holds her ground for just a moment, feet spread apart as she holds her sword out in front of her to maintain distance, prepared to block at a moment's notice.]

You're good.

[Really good.]

As good as you said— most people aren't. It's a nice surprise.

[Indeed, it's been a while since he's had such a thrilling fight and it's clear she has more skills and abilities up her sleeve if those projectiles were any clue. She's fast, strong, and even if he's able to evade or dodge she's still capable of keeping him on his toes. If he loses his focus for even an instant the tide could turn in her favor.

And he enjoys it.

Standing at his side, he also maintains his stance, ready to move whenever she dos.]

Heh, likewise. Been a while since I've had this good of a fight with someone. Been mostly dealing with daemons so I don't come up against real skilled fighters that often.

Can only think of one that's been able to keep up with me until now.

[Not everyone back home has her 'advantage,' to be fair, but Nier was only human as far as any of them knew— so it really was skill that mattered more than anything, Shade strength or otherwise.]

If your daemons are anything like Shades, I can see how they'd keep you on your toes anyway— but none of those assholes are as good as going up against someone who knows what they're doing.

[Someone who can think, respond, react at a moment's notice— like he can. Much better than taking her aggression out on Shades.]

That's pretty much it. You encounter the smart ones everyone once in a while, but most are just use brute force.

[And then he smirks as he twirls his blade once.]

Don't tell me you're calling it quits already?

Not quits.

[She never quits, thanks.]

A truce— unless you'd like to keep going? See which of us tires out first, but honestly, I'm pretty fucking hungry.

[That's more or less a compliment, too. He had made her work to keep up with him, and vice-versa.]

A truce, eh? [A light chuckle as he straightens slightly.]

Guess I have a bit of an advantage there as a daemon—I could honestly fight all day without tiring out as quickly, so might be best if we do take a break.

[Though it really would be the better course if he didn't actually do that, but, well, sometimes one just gets caught up in a good fight.]

Hey, I can go a long while, too.

[Thanks a lot, Shade physiology, even if it does come with some pretty severe drawbacks.]

Maybe I just wanna leave some mystery.

[You know. To entice for further throwdown sessions.]

Interested to see how far that stamina of yours can stretch another time, though. Sounds like fun.

I'm not against surprises—keeps things interesting. [A light smirk as he sheathes his blades.] But I'll be ready whenever you are.

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first journal entry ⚔ expedition and sparring

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