(Untitled)

[twoeyesonthesky]

Quinn's found ways to keep himself busy of late, but they've all run out. Thus, he's in the Bar with dinner and the sketchpad Bar gave him, working out the details on London as he knew it when he was twelve- as seen from the mouth of a half-dug tunnel, looking upwards to the sky.

Comments

[leftthecradle]

There's another person keeping busy...though with weapons care rather than art.

shoonk-shoonk

The Ranger frowns critically at the denn-bok as he extends it again and puts a little more oil on a join.

shoonk-shoonk-shoonk

[twoeyesonthesky]

Quinn glances up and over at the unfamiliar sound, and spots a moderately familiar face. "What's that, then?" he asks, putting the pencil and paper down.

[leftthecradle]

He looks up with a smile and begins rubbing the staff down with a cloth.

"A battle pike or denn'bok to use the old term," he says. "The traditional weapon of the Anla'shok."

He holds the five feet of metal pole out. "Care to try it?"

[twoeyesonthesky]

Quinn gives it a dubious look, but nods once. "All right," he says, and gets up. "What, ah... how do I... show me how I start?"

[leftthecradle]

He grins.

"You fight with it much as you would a bo, jo or quartestaff. But to collapse it, grip it in the center segment and..."

He demonstrates a peculuar twist-shake and he's left holding something the size of a can of biscuit dough. He extends it once more and hands it over to Quinn.

[twoeyesonthesky]

"Okay, see, the flaw there?" Quinn accepts the staff, looking it over cautiously. "Is that I've never fought with a bo, a jo, or a quarterstaff. Creedy plays Little John's part, not me."

Still, he gets both hands on it and gives it an experimental swing.

[leftthecradle]

Not as heavy as a solid metal pole of comperable size, it is much heavier than a wooden staff. The Ranger reaches out to correct Quinn's grip so that he has better control of the weapon.

"Perhaps I should borrow a broom or something. It is easier to learn against an opponent."

[twoeyesonthesky]

Quinn freezes. "You're not gonna make me hold a foot pose for fifteen minutes and not move anything else, are you? 'Cos I already did that with Mercutio."

[leftthecradle]

"Now there's a thought," he says drolly. Then he laughs. "No, I won't do that to you. That is...unless you wanted to be trained fully in it's use. The full program is rather intense, I must say."

He manages to scrounge up a dustmop with a twist-off head from one of the corners.

Valen help us if the Ooompa Loompas catch him.

[twoeyesonthesky]

"Doubt it'll be necessary," Quinn says. "Not like anyone's going to come along and clock me over the head with anything big enough to need a staff as its counter."

Pause.

"I've got the big heavy battle stick and all you've got's a mop handle," he says thoughtfully. "Do I have the option of surrendering right now?"

[leftthecradle]

"You'd be suprised how well the skills translate into other forms of combat," the Ranger says as he assumes a stance...then rolls his eyes at the comment.

"Please, I'm a professional at this. I'm perfectly capable of sparring with a beginner without injuring you."

[twoeyesonthesky]

"Didn't say I was afraid of being injured," Quinn answers. "It's just that in all the stories, this is the point where the fellow with the big heavy one gets overconfident and says something bloody stupid. Then he winds up with his nose in one of his ears. So I figured I'd show I wasn't bloody stupid, but-"

He's game for this, as far as it goes, but other than stage-fighting with a wooden 'sword' he really does know jack-all about melee combat. Well, that and the very very beginner rapier lessons he's had.

[leftthecradle]

Dry chuckle.

"Very well. Your intelligence and prudence is duely noted. Now we'll start with basic blocks..."

He slowly strikes at Quinn's head to the right...then left, giving him plenty of time to get the denn'bok where it needs to go.

Forget the Ooompa Loompas. Let's hope no jittery patron calls down Security on them.

[twoeyesonthesky]

Eh, the only jittery patron who would is Quinn himself. Creedy would start taking bets. Quinn's at least had a little wrist strengthening practise with Mercutio, so he gets the form right even if his blocks are a bit on the wobbly side.

[leftthecradle]

The Ranger nods approvingly.

"Good. Now slightly faster."

Very slightly. Left-right-left-right.

If they only had a marine officer to call cadence.

[twoeyesonthesky]

Maybe that wouldn't be such a good idea. The Royal Marines left a very bad impression on the survivor community.

Quinn nods and picks up the pace a bit. Possibly- just possibly- the stage fighting might come in handy here. If only because it does move relatively quickly.