Not Just An Excuse To Use This Icon, I Swear [SEMI-OPEN]

[karmauberalles]

Characters: von Karma and The Boss
Content: von Karma finally works up the courage to ask The Boss out on a date von Karma is feeling pretty awesome after tasing Sho, so he figures he can finally kick The Boss's ass in a fencing match. Let's see how wrong he is, shall we? (Hint: Very.)
Setting: The Victoria II's upper deck
Time: About an hour after

Comments

[joyfulpatriot]

The Boss dodged the blow easily. The Admiral was clearly furious and over committed, but at the same time his constant attacking left The Boss with little room to mount her own offensive until he presented her with a weakness.

She exchanged a few thrusts and parries with the Admiral, testing his defense and staying alert.

Unfortunately, it was her terrain that betrayed her. Unfamiliar with the deck, she hit a board that was not as secure and it gave her leg enough of a twist to force her - subconsciously - to check her footing.

She knew she'd left herself open, but she couldn't get her guard up quite in time.

[karmauberalles]

von Karma refused to yield in his offensive-then... well, that was convenient.

When he stuck, he probably hit harder than necessary, but by his logic, it was completely warranted.

[joyfulpatriot]

She brought up her saber up to parry, but it was too late, it was only enough to deflect the blow so it hit her arm instead of her chest, but it still stung and it was still a hit.

She didn't let it get to her, it was a hit though.

She back peddled out of the range of the Admiral and got her guard back up quickly.

"A hit to you, Admiral." She was ready for him now, and she would not lose her footing again. That was the last hit he would land.

[karmauberalles]

von Karma smirked. At the moment, they were evenly matched; however, as the match went on, it'd be fairly obvious who was the better.

"One-one, then," he said, walking smugly back to his starting position.

[joyfulpatriot]

The Boss also returned to her starting position and, pressed forward again. She was calm and assured and her movements were crisp and precise.

He was slow guarding his right from his lost eye, and his extension to guard his lower left was compromised by her first strike, she kept her attacks targeted there, but didn't let any of the rest of his guard relax.

She was pushing him now, hard, not because she needed to win, or because she was angry, but now was the time to end this.

[karmauberalles]

von Karma was pushing equally hard, but actually because he needed to win. The fact that he was angry helped, too-although, at this point, he was feeling more confident than anything. After all, he hadn't been able to do anything to her in the last match, had he? He was fairly healthy now, yes, and while there'd been that... slip-up earlier, he was now almost assured victory.

...of course, his growing overconfidence and the fact that the pain was still a slight distraction were causing his form to be a bit sloppy-he was still too good for a novice, but for someone on The Boss's level...

[joyfulpatriot]

The Boss wasn't quite sure if it was because of her first hit or von Karma's distraction, but he was leaving himself much more open. A beginner could not have taken advantage of those opening, but she was not a novice.

She planted a slash right below his left arm when he swung just a little to high.

"Point," she murmured, keeping up her guard.

[karmauberalles]

von Karma barely realized his mistake until he felt the sting of the hit. He hissed under his breath, but it wasn't over yet. He was just one point behind now; it'd be easy to catch up and suprass her.

He got back into his original stance, his form a bit better... but not impenetrable.

[joyfulpatriot]

His stance was a little better now. He'd obviously realized his mistake too late, but he was still sloppy, and his right was still not guarded as well as it should be.

She sidestepped enough to take advantage of his weakness on the right and hit him hard in the shoulder; the outside, not the old wound she'd aggravated. There was no reason to and insult to injury.

[karmauberalles]

...That was a fluke.

Certainly.

von Karma grit his teeth and stomped back to his starting position, moving his sword to protect his right side at the expense of most of his left side, as he was quite certain he could move his sword back quickly enough to parry an attack in that direction.

[joyfulpatriot]

The change in his stance was better, of course, but he had obviously never been trained for the loss of his eye. In the battlefield, you never knew if you would lose your sight, get something in your eye, anything. His compensation would not let him protect his left side enough.

She struck between his left arm and his body, cutting across the arm when he did not move quite fast enough.

[karmauberalles]

Wh-

This was impossible! He couldn't- how-

He quickly switched to pure offense, as that was what had worked before, and he'd be damned if he couldn't get another hit in.

[joyfulpatriot]

He had her more on the defensive now, pressing hard enough that she had to focus more on waiting for an opening instead of pushing through his own defenses.

She waited out several brief openings in the Admiral's defenses, trading strikes and parries and waiting and watching for von Karma's patterns.

After several exchanges, she struck low towards his stomach again.

[karmauberalles]

von Karma kept the offensive up, knowing that at some poi-

WHAT.

HOW WAS THIS HAPPENING.

THIS WAS NOT PERFECT.

He adjusted his position carefully, trying to ensure that there were as few gaps as possible.

[joyfulpatriot]

The Boss allowed herself a brief smile even though she was only half way home. Five to One. Not a bad tally.

She was getting more and more comfortable with the terrain and The Admiral was rapidly losing the advantage there.

She only needed a few more exchanges before the Admiral left himself open again, and lunged.

[karmauberalles]

The last five hits were essentially a blur; no matter what he did-

This.

This was probably some sort of nightmare-oh, it actually hurt when he fell to his knees.

Damn damn damn damn damn damn this could not be happening he couldn't lose again!

"You... h-how..." he panted, trying to straighten up and regain... some sort of dignity.