Dominic [M:123:1420:][D3v:http://rpgmenagerie.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=cs&thread=382&page=1#14144][b]Let me tell you a story...[/b][0:No encore today][1:You have my attention]
Dom felt his arms start to burn. Protracted fighting had never been in his repetoire. He couldn't keep silent anymore, grunting with effort every time he moved the staff. He was targeting her by the gasps and the sound of breath but an unusual phenomenon was making it tricky.
His ears were ringing, his heartbeat thumping in them, his breath becoming heavy. All of this reverberated in his head, throwing off his perceptions. Not only that but constantly handling and striking with the weapon was making his hands feel numb, the shock rocketing up his palms and wrists. It hurt to hit her and he hadn't the experience to just ignore the pain.
He felt the last blow glance, only avoiding toppling forward due to his kneeling position. He couldn't stay this way, she'd be out of range in a moment. He shoved himself up with his left leg and then put his right foot forward in a step. His jabs became more of a stirring, circling motion, hoping to catch her if she were out of the line of attack.
Putting his weight on his right leg again with the foreward strike hurt, his whole body now complaining and tired and sore.
Love, like Hope, has too few letters for a word so powerful.
Kiko waited for the strike. Unlike Dominic she had spent endless hours learning how to handle the wear and tear on her body during prolonged battles. Oh, the strikes hurt, of course; but she shunted them away. She would deal with it after.
One of the Bard's circling jabs hit her right below the throat. She expected another sharp strike, but this lacked the power of his earlier blow and it was just the opening she had been looking for a few minutes ago. Kiko snapped her hands together before he could retract the staff.
Her foot came up and she shoved at him. Kiko wasn't worried about where her foot landed either. It honestly did not matter, what did was the two opposing forces. Hopefully it would break his grip on the weapon.
Eternity
“Put some clothes on, you weird, yellow-eyed, table-dancing, werewolf-training, cryptic, stare-me-right-in-the-eyes-and-don't-even-blink wench.”
Dominic [M:123:1420:][D3v:http://rpgmenagerie.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=cs&thread=382&page=1#14144][b]Let me tell you a story...[/b][0:No encore today][1:You have my attention]
Dom was tired, getting a little desperate, his head pounded and his right leg was refusing to do what it was told. The kick did exactly what it was meant to do, hitting him in the abdomen just above the groin. He whuffed out a breath and toppled backward, the staff coming out of his grip.
He landed hard on his back, having never been taught how to do a proper breakfall, though able to soak up the worst having had plenty of practice of falling over naturally. He lay on his back, groaning a little and didn't attempt to rise.
"Okay, I think that's enough." he rumbled, the pains in his body lining up and taking numbers to needle him. He had no idea how well he'd done, but at least he'd scored a few hits.
Love, like Hope, has too few letters for a word so powerful.
Kiko yanked off the blindfold and planted the captured staff on the ground beside her foot with a quick stab. She was inordinately pleased, though shadows of past training caused her thoughts to linger on some unpleasant memories.
Still, she managed - without sight - to defeat her opponent. Kiko smiled down at Dominic and held out her hand.
Need some help?
For a man untrained in martial arts, and blind himself he had done remarkably well. Dominic could hand the normal riffraff on the road, he was clever, innovative, and good with his chosen weapon. She liked him.
Eternity
“Put some clothes on, you weird, yellow-eyed, table-dancing, werewolf-training, cryptic, stare-me-right-in-the-eyes-and-don't-even-blink wench.”
Dominic [M:123:1420:][D3v:http://rpgmenagerie.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=cs&thread=382&page=1#14144][b]Let me tell you a story...[/b][0:No encore today][1:You have my attention]
Dominic lay on the grass for a moment and sighed. When he spoke it was with the whiny, nasal inflections of a teenager, which sounded odd coming from a man with a usually resonant voice.
"But Mooooom...I don't wanna get up..." he whinged, but held his hand up anyway, allowing her to take it. He eased himself to his feet, hissing a little at the pain, but feeling he'd done well. He straightened, moved his hand evenly from her empty one to grip the staff she was holding.
He took up his weapon again, reorienting himself using the heat of the sun and sweeping the staff tip along the ground until he found his coat and hat again, picking them up stiffly and putting them on.
"I'd say that was fun, but to be honest it wasn't pleasant in the slightest." he mused, turning back to her as he adjusted his hat. "Must mean that it's worth doing again." He ambled back over to where she had been standing, limping very slightly. He chuckled lowly
"I think I'd rather practice my music for a few days though. A third morning at this pace might break me." he drawled.
Love, like Hope, has too few letters for a word so powerful.
Kiko lifted a brow at the whine. But, she had to chuckle, too. Dominic did not seem to let anything slow him down for long. He was unfailingly cheerful, at least for her observations. Unlike most men she had beaten he was neither irritated, obnoxious, or angry afterwards. Strange.
It must damage his pride. However, he made none of the rude comments she'd come to expect from every other male, save one. He did seem genuinely pained, though, and he was limping.
Fair enough, Bard. You have to earn your living plucking out tunes not sparing in the tall grass. Should you care to spar again, though; you know where I'll be. This is a nice little meadow. A good place to linger.
Kiko stretched her arms and shoulders up toward the sunshine. The battle had garnered her some new bruises, but her body felt good. She was glad for the experience anyway.
Eternity
“Put some clothes on, you weird, yellow-eyed, table-dancing, werewolf-training, cryptic, stare-me-right-in-the-eyes-and-don't-even-blink wench.”
Dominic [M:123:1420:][D3v:http://rpgmenagerie.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=cs&thread=382&page=1#14144][b]Let me tell you a story...[/b][0:No encore today][1:You have my attention]
Dominic began walking, leaning on his staff to keep the weight off his right leg. It was probably just a bad bruise, nothing to worry about. Maybe there'd be a doctor in town who'd be nice enough to put a poultice on it. He smiled, even as it hurt.
"I might just do that, once my meat sack of a body decides it's not angry with me anymore. And hey, if all this stick thumping hasn't helped my callouses start to regrow. I'll just make sure to use the right soap next time." He smiled, rolling his neck, heading toward the gap in the fence, staff swishing every so often, feet moving in that deliberate shuffle.
As he got to the gap he paused and thought for a second, speaking as if both to her and himself. "One day I hope I can write a song about you. Maybe some day I'll know enough to do it." He laughed lowly and began strolling away, saying "But it is the perogative of women to be mysterious."
Kiko had no return sally for Dominic's words about mystery. In fact, she was gone from the meadow when he spoke. Well. There was no human form that he could hear anyway. She had traded that for the wolf shape.
Her nose was currently buried in the squashed grass from their sparring bout, too. She knew Dominic's scent, naturally. Along with that, though; were a myriad of other things detected. The smell of a hare that had passed by less than a day ago. A group of strange humans that she did not recognize was below the hare trail. And somewhere, maybe as far back as three days gone, a deer and her fawn. Hm.
Kiko shook her head. Her ears flipped flopped back and forth. Dominic's footsteps were traveling up the path and she let him go. From his words earlier; Wistvale was his intended destination . She had no desire to be in the confining space of town when the sun was pouring down overhead.
She dug her shoulder and nose into the grass where the Bard had landed on his ass. She squirmed, rolled, and in general relished the smell of it all.
Eternity
“Put some clothes on, you weird, yellow-eyed, table-dancing, werewolf-training, cryptic, stare-me-right-in-the-eyes-and-don't-even-blink wench.”
Dominic [M:123:1420:][D3v:http://rpgmenagerie.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=cs&thread=382&page=1#14144][b]Let me tell you a story...[/b][0:No encore today][1:You have my attention]
Dom shambled off up the path, not at all surprised that he hadn't gotten a response from the woman. Nor did he suspect she'd shifted shapes, though he did hear a slight rustle as he retreated. Some animal coming back to reclaim the meadow now the strange bipedal animals had gone, perhaps. Shame he couldn't see, he'd very much have liked the sight of the lupine form rolling around like a puppy.
"Heh, case in point." he rumbled as he made his way back to town, limping slightly and pondering coming back if the weather were clement. Even these few short sessions had given him new insight into his fighting arts.
Love, like Hope, has too few letters for a word so powerful.
It was a few days later and the chilly bite of the wind was tearing through the air. It beat at the doors and slats of the sturdy tavern, but could not break past. Still, the last bits of the milder season was gone. Soon enough the world outside would be surrounded by a blanket of white.
Kiko's fur coat would be bulkier by then, too. She made a quick grimace that showed on the wolf's face as a series wrinkles on her muzzle. She blew a quick burst of air from her nose and studied the street. The weather must be keeping Wistvale's citizenry inside. Kiko shook her head back and forth her teeth flashing white in a distinctly reckless grin.
She had the impulsive desire to bay out a long howl just to see what happened. Maybe it was the taste of snow on the wind, she was not normally so cocky. Still, the grin remained even during the change from wolf to woman. Kiko stood upright swept the hair back from her face and tied it in a quick braid. She gathered up the cloak, weaponry, and personal items stashed earlier. Perhaps the Wolf's bold blue eyes were influencing her thoughts.
Somehow she had made her way inside the tavern. A window, an entrance off the kitchen, who knows. Kiko had long been an expert at getting into and out of places without being seen. At any rate, she managed to find the Bard's lodging inside. It was sparse, as she expected from any traveler, and it was easy enough to slip the ten pieces of gold into his lute case. She was back outside seconds after and headed back into the cover of the woods.
Dominic: Take fifteen experience points for this little adventure and ten gold. Normally you would receive 1 point for each page, but you get a bonus here for making your posts enjoyable, and extremely detailed. You never fail to amaze.
+15 acclaim and +10 gold
Eternity
“Put some clothes on, you weird, yellow-eyed, table-dancing, werewolf-training, cryptic, stare-me-right-in-the-eyes-and-don't-even-blink wench.”