I am not a man to hunger for blood...

[taughttolisten]

WHO: Miles Edgeworth bluffing_ruffle and Obi-Wan Kenobi taughttolisten
WHERE: The Jinn Memorial School of Complex Paragraphery
WHEN: Monday evening, July 19th
WARNINGS: Some violence. Possible violation of house sparring rules.
SUMMARY: Things have become... somewhat strained between these two. And on top of the delicate emotional balance of things, swords have become

Comments

PROBABLE violation of house sparring rules, y'mean

[bluffing_ruffle]

Edgeworth had been trained to fence from a young age; von Karma had seen fit to teach him as both a sport worthy of gentlemen and a way to make the boy visualize the courtroom method. Miles had not enjoyed learning of the history behind the art--murder was murder, and there was little to think of a duel to the death other than that--but was capable of using it to learn the body language and intentions of his opponents. It was a skill that had translated rather nicely to his studies as a prosecutor, and which was well-supported by the continuing games of chess.

He had never left either of them behind for long, and after discovering his ice powers in the City, had practiced fencing almost every day... sometimes for hours on end, and others merely for what few minutes he had to himself before bed.

What von Karma had also taught Edgeworth was the value of learning to manipulate the emotions of others; if one could force a foe to lose control of themselves, one could then swoop in to take control. After all, hadn't that been how he

99% certainty of violation of house sparring rules

[taughttolisten]

Obi-Wan opened the door with his sword in his hand, his eyes equally cold, his jaw clearly set beneath the scrubby beard. In silence he took a step back, gesturing for Edgeworth to come inside.

Remember what has served you best, a steady voice murmured inside his own head, and the voice was like Yoda's, like his Master's, like the chorused voices of the Council. Rely on the Code and you cannot fail; stumble into the trap of passion and you are lost.

Where Edgeworth possessed the cool of ice and snow, sharp and crackling with brilliance, Obi-Wan was as inscrutable and determined as a stone. His was the calm of the exile, the outsider with a single narrow focus.

violation of house sparring rules in progress

[bluffing_ruffle]

Edgeworth watched the door open, quickly taking in the details--how the other man stood, where he was looking, whether or not he had appeared already armed, how his feet were placed and where his empty hand happened to be--and standing motionless while Obi-Wan made room for him to enter.

Once upon a time, he'd been the so-called Demon Prosecutor. There were whispered rumors and heavy suspicions that he had done whatever he'd deemed necessary to win his cases, like 'fixing' evidence. Although it had rankled him at the time, as he had done no such thing, he was capable of such actions. Being able to trap the criminal mind required an understanding of one, after all.

He gave a nod, and moved to step in through the doorway.

As he passed Obi-Wan, he flicked his wrist upward sharply, hoping to catch the other off guard and graze him with the tip of the thin, flexible sword. Attacks sometimes came from those a person might have thought most honorable. It was a lesson he himself had been taught the hard way.

Pffff that's not quite a violation, just mild dirty trickery

[taughttolisten]

Whether it was the Force or simply long years of practice that gave Obi-Wan the speed to bring his own blade up and deflect his opponent's épée just enough to keep it from hitting his shoulder was impossible to tell.

Perhaps, though, it was an experience other than practice. After all, he was a man damaged by betrayals and losses; the ideal of trust was not generally in his personal code.

Lightly, almost playfully, he moved back two steps, every bit as alert as Edgeworth was. Had the circumstances been different--had this been a sparring match with Fakir, or a long-ago session with one of his long-dead blademasters--he might have followed up with a gently humorous remark. But this was already too charged for wit. There was something very personal seething in the space between them, and it would take all of Obi-Wan's reserve and discipline to conquer it.