[closed] Back off, I'll take you on

[coughcoughshank]

Characters: Hawk and Daitou
Date/Time: Saturday April 2nd
Location: The Dojo
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Daitou and Hawk meet for a spar, and some long-held-off conversation

Comments

[crimson_seeker]

Hawk shifted in a gentle curve to his own right, the bamboo sword loose in his hand. There was a pause in the bout, one he had created, but it was obvious neither of them really needed the courtesy of announcing the next attack.

"Long as you're not wasting their teachings--" He dashed in, his feet striking the tatami in rapid succession, and began with a left-angled downward feint, then snapped the blade around and brought it down from the right towards Daitou's hip instead. "Maybe it doesn't matter, even."

[coughcoughshank]

With his speed, it was easiest to sidestep and swing his sword around to deflect the attack, rather than making a firmer block. "I like to think I'm not."

He shifted his grip on the sword minutely and then swung it up in an underhand strike arcing up from Hawk's waist. He was improvising, a bit, but that was half the fun of this fight - using a shinai in ways he hadn't before.

[crimson_seeker]

The end of Daitou's blade caught him across the side as he was fractionally too late in parrying. He dropped his weight onto his left foot, pivoted on it to keep his own sword between him and his opponent, and leapt back a step to get a bit of distance. The blow had been a glancing one; he could handle that much pain. However, it would have been first blood had they been sparring with steel.

"Obviously not," Hawk chuckled. "So how don't you put it to use? There's work for a fighting man in this place aplenty."

With that, he came forward again with a series of quicker, harder strikes, diagonally down towards Daitou's shoulder, upper arm, then side. The mood was still light, companionable almost, but they weren't simply warming up anymore.

[coughcoughshank]

First touch - Daitou couldn't help but grin a little at thatDaitou could feel the harsher impact of the flurry of strikes as he brought his blade up to block. He let the momentum carry him backwards rather than waste energy pushing back against it. There was space enough in the dojo.

"Mm, well - I like working in the shop." He forced Hawk's sword back a little bit and then striking again, this time blocked. "And Sailormoon-san needs the help."

He let the words go for a while, then, focusing instead on the fight. They traded blows, back and forth - Hawk was very skilled, but his strength couldn't quite keep up with Daitou's agility, getting a blow in here and there but not quite as many as Daitou had managed on the taller man.

/described a hit, hopes that is all right

[crimson_seeker]

Perhaps with his left hand still intact and a spear in his hands, the spar would have turned out differently. Daitou kept him on the keen far edge of his skills, always a little too swift to circle around his defences, a little too nimble to riposte after a parry. Hawk knew he'd come away with bruises and sore muscles, yet some part of him relished the challenge.

Glad we went for the bamboo swords. Might be in actual trouble if it was iron blades.

He dropped into a crouch to duck an overhand strike from Daitou. The angle was hardly the best possible, but for a moment the young man's side lay exposed, and Hawk had drawn his sword close to his body as he avoided the blow. He swung out in an upward arc, knowing that even a glancing blow would buy him the time to get back on his feet.

The blunted end of the shinai connected solidly with Daitou's ribs, and Hawk danced back onto his feet, a reckless grin touching his mouth.