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Post by Broly on Nov 18, 2024 18:16:59 GMT -5
Across the floor Broly stepped lightly, shadows waving over his bulky form in the dimly lit sparring circle. His hands held twin daggers gleaming, razor sharp edges and moving as extensions of his will. His eyes cold and precise, he circled Abraia, watching exactly everything she did. He sprang forward low and fast, like a released coiled spring had no warning at all.
Her first slash was from her left, a shallow one, meant to test her reaction speed. Broly’s true intent came, though, with his follow through, a second dagger arcing upward towards her exposed flank, a move meant to catch her mid dodge.
Turning his heel, Broly shuffled down, balancing on the balls of his feet as his blades cut framed circles in the air. He feigned high, turning his body at the last moment to strike out with a quick thrust at her hip. He kept relentless pressure on, not overextending, not going outside the controlled range with every strike.
He spun to sidestep, disengaging for a moment to see where she was. He threw one dagger, flicking his wrist to send it not to wound, but to draw her attention upward, while closing the distance again with the other blade in a lightning fast stab toward her midsection.
B: 212
A: 0
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Abraia
Junior Member
Posts: 23
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Post by Abraia on Nov 18, 2024 19:23:07 GMT -5
Broly circled her and Abraia grinned, leg bouncing lightly on her toes. She had to admit the cold, calculated way he moved was a little intimidating, but ooh, sneaky sneaky. As the first slash came, she spun across it, clanging her sword off the second blade, cutting her slash short. "Close one!" She chirped, spinning back into position just in time to catch the thrust aimed at her hip. Moving back in a step and throwing the dagger Broly’s eyes sparkled with mischief. "Nice try!" She laughed, flicking it aside with a flick of her blade, then lunged forward, testing his reflexes with a quick jab for his shoulder.
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Post by Broly on Nov 18, 2024 19:23:20 GMT -5
Her quip was barely acknowledged, Broly's eyes were unbroken. He moved back, just a fraction away from her jab. His remaining dagger spun in his hand, he gripped the handle tightly as he came again with ruthless efficiency. This time, he took advantage of her momentum. He slid past her flank like water around a rock, sidestepping her follow through. He cut through with his blade in a tight arc at her extended arm, then reversed the movement, aiming for her shoulder.
Broly swept his leg out low, trying to unbalance her. While he used the motion to roll back into a crouch, his dagger posed again to strike. The flick was deceptive, swift, probing; this one came in for her wrist. Broly's movements were so not jarring, every strike relentlessly trying to just keep her off balance. Daggers flashed, precise flurry of slashes, to herd her into a corner of the sparring circle, he pressed forward again.
B: 370
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Abraia
Junior Member
Posts: 23
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Post by Abraia on Nov 18, 2024 19:23:31 GMT -5
As Broly's blade nearly nicked Abraia's arm, where she twisted away just in time, Abraia yelped. "Whoa there, mister serious!" She spun on her heel to keep him in her line of sight, giggling.
She skipped lightly over his leg, her agility managing to keep her on her feet. His relentless flurry forced her to backpedal, her sword attacked from every angle left, right, up, down, to deflte the oncoming strikes of the blade.
"All right, mix things up for me." She lunged forward, wide and playful slash, forcing him to either block or step back. She wanted some more.
B: 370
A: 209
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Post by Broly on Nov 18, 2024 19:23:41 GMT -5
Abraia charged at Broly who’s expression didn’t give any hints. Her enthusiasm was practically shining like the sun. Rather than move away, he stepped into her attack, a sharp parry getting his dagger between her sword and her body with an audible screech of steel. Using the small gap left open for any light, he spun in, his daggers slashing downward toward her thigh, one sliding up to the side. His attacks were relentless, the rhythm of it clear despite the intensity of his breathing.
He shifted his grip and his daggers were now held in reverse, their points angled downward as she recovered. He circled her, predatorily, low strike of one blade, high feint of the other, always trying to confuse and overwhelm. His strategy was clear… He would exhaust her defenses to the last before going for the killing blow.
B: 512
A: 209
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Abraia
Junior Member
Posts: 23
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Post by Abraia on Nov 18, 2024 19:42:04 GMT -5
Broly’s dagger narrowly missed Abraia’s thigh and she stumbled back, her sword instinctively
She snapped up to block the follow up strike to her side. "Yikes, close one!" Flash, her, a nervous grin, though the pressure mounted.
With a shift in his grip she tilted her head, curiosity crowding over her focus. She twisted her sword in a wide circle in front of her, like she was teasing him, as if to never let him know what to expect.
His next strike came low, she hopped back, barely avoiding the blade, and then jerked her sword up to deflect the high feint. She moved quickly but not with the disciplined defense of dance: her movements were more a chaotic dance than a disciplined defense. But her energy never waned, as he kept going with his relentless assault.
“Oh, come on, loosen up!” Abraia laughed, and lunged forward, swinging her sword in an exaggerated manner, more to create space than to hit. She spun on her heel to face him again, and followed it up with a playful flourish.
"Can you keep up with this?" he said. With a cheeky grin she darted to his left with a feint before angling a real thrust toward his shoulder to test his reactions.
A419
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Post by Broly on Nov 18, 2024 19:46:26 GMT -5
His opponent’s unpredictability caused an irritation he wouldn’t allow to show, but his sharp, calculated movements never faltered. He saw an opening to slash downward with his dagger, forcing her to retreat or block or he’d wrenched his wrist to stiff arm a follow up strike to her unshielded midsection.
All of this made him move with a calculated rhythm, exploiting her exuberance. Changing plans as she danced to his left, he managed to spin like a top, his footwork measured and efficient. He tried not to waste energy. A rapid combination of low feint with one blade, with the other blade flicking up in a sharp arc towards her dominant arm.
She was chaotic energy - small openings were always going to be there, and he was determined to make the most of them. At each of Broly's tight, angular slashes, she retained the initiative and kept her on the defensive. Neither of those moves were helpful for a defensive maneuver. Dipping low again, his dagger slashed a shallow arc at her leg, then he was up and around to her flank, reverse grip slash at her ribs.
He tried not to react to her constant chatter. Broly however was silent, and his focus was not compromised. All that could be heard was the whisper of his daggers cutting through the air, and the soft scrape of his boots on the ground.
He stepped back, just outside her reach, and suddenly changed his strategy. Twirling one dagger in his hand, he did do so deliberately, almost mockingly, while gauging her reaction. In a single instant, Broly moved, lunging forward with one blade pointed low, the other inches from her throat.
B: 793
A: 419
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Abraia
Junior Member
Posts: 23
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Post by Abraia on Nov 18, 2024 19:47:54 GMT -5
The downward slash came at her, Abraia squeaked as her sword barely raised in time to deflect it. His relentless precision forced the follow up to her midsection, causing her to hop back with her balance teetering as she tried to keep up. "Geez, give me a breather!" Her grin never faded, but she huffed.
Out of the corner of her eye, she caught his low feint and his sword darted down reflexively. "Ha! Not this time!" Only she crowed, before his upward strike cut her triumph short.
She brought her blade back, just in time with the impact ringing up her arm. She edged across to him, her feet light and her movements fluid when he shifted to her flank. The reverse grip slash was too close for comfort, and the fabric of her tunic was grazed. "Whoa! Almost got me there!" Her tone was teasing, though it was a near miss. She laughed as he stepped back and twirled his dagger. "Ooh, dramatic much?" Darting forward to close the gap he’d created, she struck out with her sword at his shoulder, then slashed at him trying to sweep him back to his heels.
A614
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Post by Broly on Nov 18, 2024 20:27:40 GMT -5
Broly’s muscles were aching from pushing his body around so quickly. He struggled to maintain his footing and failed to anticipate Abraia’s next move. Her relentless assault was beginning to wear him down. It had been a vicious battle from the start, striking and countering striking and counter striking until he reached the limits of himself.
With his daggers swinging up to intercept a low slash at his legs, the shock of impact travelled up his arms. He staggered on his feet, recovered, and Abraia deftly moved her posture to the other side. She came swiftly, too swiftly. Before Broly’s eyes had even registered the movement, she forced him to block her blade with only one of his daggers. She struck with unbearable force and the shock went through his arm. He hadn't had a chance to recover before he staggered back, and his remaining dagger twirled in his hand and slipped from his grip completely.
A few feet away the blade hit the ground, spinning, as if mocking him. He skipped a beat and for a split second he stood there looking at the empty space where his second weapon had been. Unarmed, exposed, he realized he’d lost. Broly hadn’t had a second to think with Abraia’s relentless assault, and now without a second dagger to defend himself, he was at a distinct disadvantage. He knew, deep down, that he wasn’t going to claw back in the lead.
“Well, guess that’s it.” He took a step back, rubbing the back of his neck with a hand and looking down at the ground as he awkwardly tried to recover some composure. “You win this time, I’m done.” He laughed lightly and shook his head. It had been a good fight. As the adrenaline wore off, another thought started to take root in his mind, a thought that wasn't nearly as serious as the one that had been in his head during the sparring.
He raised his eyes to her and gave her a playful glint in his eyes, starting off “So… Why don’t we grab some sushi, because it’s almost lunch time?”
The offer was a strange one, though that was nothing new to Broly. It’s not like there’s a better way to move on from a heated battle than with food. Sushi sounded good. Sushi always sounded good, hell. It would also be a welcome distraction from the sting of his defeat at the very least.
“I’m hungry and if I’m being honest, I don’t think I can go another round. Why don’t we come back here when we finish, yeah?’”
B: 1225
A: 614
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Abraia
Junior Member
Posts: 23
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Post by Abraia on Nov 18, 2024 21:22:00 GMT -5
Abraia didn’t say anything right away, her sword still loose in one hand and her expression unreadable for a moment. He was surprised when a small laugh escaped her and she shook her head.
She dropped her weapon and her voice softened, "Sushi huh?" “I have to admit, I wasn’t expecting that to be a follow up to a sparring session.”
Abraia laughed, light and genuine. It was the sound of someone who knew how to fight well, but who also knew when to step away. "you are something else," she shook her head, in disbelief. The teasing tone was there, but her eyes were warm, and she wasn’t completely against the idea.
Finally she agreed, nodding to herself and sheathing her sword, wiping a bit of sweat from her brow. “Sushi sounds good. You may have lost the fight, but at least you’re offering something worthwhile afterwards.”
A: 762
B: 1225
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Post by Broly on Nov 18, 2024 21:28:21 GMT -5
He hadn’t really thought she’d accept, but here they were, both supposedly hungry and ready for a meal. Or a date? He didn’t know whether it was one or not.
The tension left Broly's shoulders entirely now, and he grinned. “Hey, if I can’t win in battle, I can win with food.” He reached down to grab his discarded daggers, giving them a little rueful glance before letting it drop again. Besides, sushi was the real victory here.
As they got to the nearest town Broly’s mood lightened. It was cool air on his skin, and the rhythmic steps of their feet sound echoing throughout the quiet streets. The sting of defeat was lost in the steady anticipation of the meal that was to come. The idea of fresh, raw fish was just what he needed to put his mind at ease, and he was starving.
They came to a sushi shop. It was a kind of shitty small shop between two massive ones. The kanji characters scrawled across its wooden sign promised of good food, and its wooden sign swayed gently in the evening breeze. Down below, the warm glow of low hanging lights filled the space within, a golden hue overlaid upon the wooden counter and the tables littered so neatly.
The bell above the door rang as Broly pushed it open and they stepped in. A few patrons looked up, but it was quiet and relaxed compared to the spirit of the sparring session they'd had earlier. At the sushi counter a chef behind it smiled at them and greeted them in a friendly, yet professional way.
The chef’s voice was deep, but warm. “Table for two?”
Broly nodded, rubbing his stomach in hunger. “We’re here for the good stuff, yeah.” Don’t hold back.”
The chef chuckled, then turned and afforded them a nod as he led them to a corner booth. His muscles still felt the remnants of their fight, but he was pleasantly distracted by the thought of a feast. The selection was simple, no frills, an extensive selection of sashimi, nigiri, rolls and rolls. Broly wasn’t here for rolls. No, he came for the real, unadulterated raw fish, the kind that melted in your mouth with every bite.
Two menus were returned by the server and Broly started working. He looked over the items but his mind was already made up. Sashimi, all the way. He could already see the fish, the fish that would be vibrant colors, the fish that would be delicate slices of tuna, salmon, yellowtail, mackerel. He thought about diving in and couldn’t prevent his stomach from growling audibly.
Broly looked up, eye gleaming, “I’ll take a ton of sashimi.” “Whatever you’ve got, tuna, salmon, yellowtail, mackerel, whatever you’ve got, we’ll take it,” he said. Just keep it coming.”
The server said, “Got it,” used to serving patrons with big appetites. “I’ll bring it right out.”
Taking his arms up above his head, Broly shrugged and leaned back in his seat, his grin widening. He needed this exactly. A good meal after a hard fought battle. Sashimi was something that couldn't really be compared to, the satisfaction of sinking his teeth into perfectly cut fish and allowing the flavors to explode on your mouth with every bite.
Every other plate was piling up but the first plate of his fresh tuna sashimi had just arrived and was practically shimmering under the soft light with vibrant red fish, so Broly dug in immediately. The server had been right to keep it coming. Broly was in heaven.
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