Rabbit fled, best guess, toward home.

[dogtag]

Who: Nic (dogtag) and you. if you want.
What: hanging out and cutting things up.
When: redheiss, 13-20.
Where: library, the ugly jackal, and around goldvale.
Rating: probably pretty tame.

THE LIBRARY.

[ this guy's pretty buff for a bookworm — or, at least, someone with a lot of books. he's reading mostly books on recent history events, but he has another stack of lighter novels and literature next to him, too. there aren't that many books, but it's taking him a very long time to get through them, staring at each page for rather longer than it should take.

every once in a while, he gets up to shelve a book that he's only halfway through or stretch his legs. his colors mark him as a mercenary, too. you could question his presence here, but try not to raise your voice. it is a library, after all. ]

THE UGLY JACKAL.

[ methodically smashing his way through dummies, and occasionally engaging in a spar. he doesn't talk at all, which most of the other fighters don't mind. they're not a very talkative bunch, all in all, but he doesn't look totally unapproachable. ask for a spar, or try to get him to say something. ]

OUT AND ABOUT, OR CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE.

[ nic's usually exploring the city, trying to find a way out, or scouring the first level of the castle, always with his sword. ]

Comments

[someonetocarry]

Zoe occasionally wanders by the other guilds, usually to see what they're all up to and to consider whether they have skills she'd like to learn. Sometimes she even asks to use their grounds and equipment. The Archers guild, after all, is great for target practice but not so much for the up close and personal kind of fighting, and Zoe wants to keep her hand in.

So spotting Nic fighting dummies alone seems like a good chance to get a little exercise. She watches for a moment, gauging his skill level, then when he pauses for a break, she asks amiably, "Want a live partner who can hit back?"

[dogtag]

He's just shaking remnants of the last practice dummy off of his sword when she speaks, and roughly catches the gist of what she's asking. Figuring that she'll either clarify if she's not asking for a spar, he gestures with his blade towards the more open area where other pairs or groups are squaring off.

Still not saying a word, of course, but he's of the opinion that you don't need to talk to fight.

[someonetocarry]

Zoe nods. She can go without talking, too, at least as much as one can to get by. She eyes the selection of practice weapons and goes with a long, thick staff. Swords are beyond her, but this she can work with, so long as Nic there isn't trying to slice through it-- and even then, it's stout enough to avoid being chopped clean through. She hopes.

She lets him lead the way out onto the practice yard, and squares off with the staff across her body.

[dogtag]

In the practice yard, Nic stands in a rest position, katana held loosely in one hand until he figures that she's ready. He waits. He's usually not one to start a fight, even if it's just a spar.

[someonetocarry]

Zoe waits for a beat, making sure he's ready... and then, when she's pretty sure he is, she's perfectly happy to make the first move. She swings the staff at his left shoulder, not too quick, mostly a testing strike to see how he reacts.

[dogtag]

He steps back, dodging the blow easily. Even though he's lost most of his extreme abilities, he still has more agility than the average person. In response, he swings his sword quickly at her stomach.

[someonetocarry]

The nice thing about using a staff for a weapon is that it also doubles as defense. The back end of the staff takes only a small adjustment to block Nic's swing. Zoe gives a small smile. He's not half-bad. Good.

Her next swing, once his blade has bounces from the wood, is for his sword-arm.

[dogtag]

He isn't fighting seriously, for now, just moving in the easy patterns of practice combat. He hasn't done this for a while, actually, but he can still respond correctly, stepping out of the way and forward this time to get closer.

His sword is slightly shorter than the staff, so he has a slight advantage at a close range. Nic goes for an upward cut, diagonally across her chest and throat. It's not a move that should be pulled off in a practice spar, but, well, he's never been one to hold back against good opponents.

[someonetocarry]

Twisting the staff's bottom end around doesn't quite block the slice, but it does give her the momentum needed to hop back and avoid the point. "Jest how sharp is that thing, anyhow?" she asks, holding the staff between him defensively, just making sure. Working with live steel is something she figures she ought to be aware of.

[dogtag]

He allows the pause, shifting his grip on the sword's hilt quietly. It takes him a moment to know what she's saying, but he understands.

"Sharp."

That's it. He doesn't have enough in him to say any more.

[someonetocarry]

Live steel, then. Zoe looks a bit disapproving of going at someone all-out with a blade that could actually do them damage, just in play, but all she says is, "Guess I'll hafta be careful, then."

And next, she aims the very end of the staff for his sword wrist, or fingers if she can get it.

[dogtag]

Well, Nic doesn't quite consider it play. It's certainly not a real fight, but it's still important to practice, isn't it?

And practice is what lets him mostly avoid the next blow, though the staff thuds painfully against his knuckles. He sidesteps and aims an attack with the hilt of his sword, his other hand bracing the guard to give it better direction.

[someonetocarry]

Anything not done in earnest counts as "play", really, since it's nearly all fun. Zoe twists her wrist and sets the staff into a quick spin, to smack at the new strike. It's one of those more desperate moves, since it loosens her grip on it and makes it vulnerable to knocking away if he's quick, but she wasn't expecting that. Very clever. Not many people bother attacking with the hilt.

[dogtag]

It's enough to make him lose some of his grip on the sword, but he uses the momentum to turn to sword and use the blunt side of his blade to try and knock away her staff. He moves quickly and with a certain viciousness to his fighting style; mercenaries don't fight fair or for play.

[someonetocarry]

Apparently not. Zoe can be plenty vicious, just generally when she actually wants to kill people. Nic doesn't seem like he knows the difference, so much. She loses the staff, his swat spinning it off to one side, but follows it up with her own momentum from the jar of his hit to kick out at his sword hand again, aiming to make him lose the sword at the same time.

[dogtag]

He doesn't expect that — most of his spars so far have ended with single disarmament, and this time he's taken off guard enough to lose his grip. But he continues just as she did. He doesn't need a weapon to fight, after all, and he goes for a high kick.

[someonetocarry]

At least kicks aren't likely to slice open her belly on accident. Zoe's not used to specific duels or rules of engagement-- after all, she's a soldier and a thief, and both did what they had to-- so she plays until someone yields. The kick, thus, is not entirely unexpected, even if his vaguely surprised expression is. She steps back just half a foot and tries to grab his foot and twist to knock him over.

[dogtag]

He can't avoid the grab, so he lets the twist give him momentum. Nic shuffles back a step before launching into a sharper high kick and swinging into an elbow strike.

[someonetocarry]

Now that's not something Zoe expected. She'd expected him to either resist, or to fall over. How he's keeping on his feet, she has no idea. Thus, though she can lean back just enough to avoid the foot to the face, the elbow takes her off guard, and she takes it in the side before she can sidestep.

Now, wincing and dropping to a non-offensive stance, she just hopes he didn't hit hard enough to break anything, since he seems to be going all out. "Hold up a sec," she adds, in case he doesn't recognize the "break".

[dogtag]

There have been worse fights involving him. Even if the setting is different, and his abilities aren't the same, he can, for the most part, handle it.

He sees her move out of a fighting stance. It takes another second for him to follow, but he straightens back up to his unimpressive height and waits. He isn't sure what she's saying, but he'll wait before continuing.

[tophat]

[ here's another one who's pretty dang buff for a bookworm-- though at least he has the stereotypical glasses part down, if that accounts for anything at all. either way, hirato's intention with this trip to the library is to look up the recent history of this place in greater detail, but there's an obstacle that presents itself right away.

most of the books he wanted to read are in use right now, apparently, which in turn leads to hirato wandering around until he comes across nic's table.

a-ha. ] I don't suppose you happen to be finished with any of those, by any chance?

[dogtag]

[ whoops. he hasn't signed them out yet, either, he's just taking advantage of the library's accommodations to get some reading done.

he looks up.

ahh, somebody who wants his books. nic shakes his head, and then hesitates. there's one book that he's finished with, and he picks it up to offer it to hirato.

it's the goldvale equivalent of a book of fairy tales. enjoy. ]

[tophat]

[ well... that sure isn't the book he'd had his eye on. but he'll take it with a smile anyway, making sure to at least look the offered book over so as to avoid being needlessly rude.

you never know with these silent types. ]

I'm thankful for the offer, but unfortunately this isn't quite what I was looking for. [ gingerly putting the book back down on the table-- ] If you aren't opposed to the idea, perhaps I could join you for a bit?

[dogtag]

[ for what it's worth, nic's manners make him the one to be needlessly rude in most interactions.

he pauses in his reading, moves the book back to the pile of the others. well, he doesn't like company, but he doesn't have a very good reason to refuse the man.

so he motions with his hand. sit down, he means, but it's half-hearted. ]

[chittybang]

[Every once in a while Asami gets the beast that tries to lure her into other spaces with a greater number of beasts, or it'll attack her with a great barrage of attacks if she doesn't give in to the chase. It's the most annoying, and it leaves Asami out of stamina when it happens. She thinks she'll improve quicker if she's out on her own, but when she is lured into a greater battlefield, safety in numbers begins to seem worth-it all over again.

This time she's chasing a rablanc, a monster perfect for her gun, although its flying patterns are cunning and hard to aim at while they're both moving. Just as she's thinking she would love to have one of her other friends here with her, the rablanc's path inadvertently leads her into a room with Nic, and she takes a moment to stop right there beside him.

She throws hair over her shoulder and tries to catch her breath between hasty words. They need to move or else the rablanc will use their standstill to its advantage!]

Hey! I'm [huff] Asami [huff] and I [huff] am a gunner, you know [huff, and she shows him her pistols. She clears her throat and thinks she's found her voice.] I'm trying to get a rablanc; want to join me?

[dogtag]

[ he doesn't like working in any group, even small ones, even in a pair. even working with worick was a pain, sometimes, so he's on his own when asami runs into the room that he's been in for the past few minutes, basically level grinding.

the loot from the monsters he's already killed is packed away, and there's a lull in the waves until she runs in. just his luck.

not that he minds, really. a minute break is break enough. the problem is, she's talking too quickly and moving too much for him to catch everything she's saying. ]

I can't hear you.

[ he doubts that she knows what he's saying, but it's worth a shot. he's signing with one hand, too, sloppy and fast, so it's basically only distinguishable as sign language of some sort.

but even if he can't understand what she's saying exactly, he can figure it out. there must be some kind of monster she's chasing, so he still nods and gestures with his sword for her to lead. ]

[chittybang]

[Asami is distracted in trying to decipher his hand motions until it dawns on her that he's using sign language. Her own knowledge is minimized to pleasantries for the sake of business meetings and galas, like hello, thank you, sorry, and Mr. Nori is my stylist. Other than that, the best she can do is guess.

She bows her head for a quick dual-thanks and -apology, but that rablanc is sure to come out of nowhere if they don't move soon. It's ambush or be ambushed. Without much thought to it, a corner of her lips quirk a smile as she briefly nods in the direction she's going.]

I'm pretty sure it went this way. [She leads the way, checking back periodically to make sure he's following and it doesn't take long before she spots the rablanc on the other side of a rock hill.

Or, rather, five of them. She presses her back against their cover and extends her arm as a way of telling him to stop. Then, she nods in the direction and splays out her fingers to show him five.]

[dogtag]

[ well, she seems to have understood at least some of what he's saying. it'll do. nic follows her, sword still drawn.

five shouldn't be too bad. he's hanging back, so he takes her word at face value. he doesn't really like working in a group, but he'll admit that it's safer this way that going alone.

nic nods, gesturing for her to fire. it'll be easier if they can scatter the rablanc and take them down one by one. ]