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+---- Thread: [Training] all I ever desired is here with me (/showthread.php?tid=11750)
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RE: all I ever desired is here with me - Liam - 07-20-2025
Liam pulled Maea to her feet, then used one hand to gently lift her chin to better check her injury. [say]“Mm, kicking to disarm or disable an opponent is going to be your best bet,”[/say] he said, perhaps a little distracted as he assured himself that he hadn’t done any permanent damage. [say]“But you were doing that. Using your tail was a stroke of genius to balance yourself.”[/say] He released her chin, lifting his gaze to meet pale eyes. [say]”You might try some lower sweeps - use your speed to your advantage and see if you can knock your opponent off their feet. And,”[/say] he added as a final afterthought, [say]“Keep a dagger or other close combat weapon tucked away somewhere, in case you end up grappling someone bigger than you.”[/say]
Realizing perhaps belatedly that he might have gotten carried away in his advice, Liam rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, blushing faintly. But when a shiver passed through Maea, he was already moving to throw an arm around her shoulders, tucking her against him and - hopefully - somewhat out of the wind. [say]“Want to go another round, or did you have something else in mind?”[/say]
RE: all I ever desired is here with me - Maea - 07-20-2025
Maea didn't protest his examination, seeming quite content to warm her cheek against his hand until Liam was convinced she was alright. The mild disappointment to be let go was soon remedied as he slung an arm around her; contemplating the suggestions mentioned with a gleam of interest in her eyes, she leaned into him with a hand slipping behind his back, thumb hooking into his belt for support. [say]"True, those are good points,"[/say] and ones she'd try to implement soonest. [say]"Especially about the knife. My chakram can be a bit clunky… and hard to hide."[/say] A dagger in her boot or up the sleeve could be a really good addition to her arsenal.
[say]"I can go another round,"[/say] she replied. [say]"Same thing again, or with weapons this time?"[/say] It was fun to work with him like this, learning and testing new techniques. His was a deep well of knowledge stemming from the kind of foormal training she'd never had, and she was quickly discovering that a catalogue of abilities meant nothing if she didn't know how to use them to the fullest.
RE: all I ever desired is here with me - Liam - 07-20-2025
Given that Liam had been a soldier and a father to two daughters, self-defense was a subject that he was quite passionate about. Caido was, after all, a dangerous place at the best of times, and it was important for anyone to be prepared. [say]“You know, you can hide a dagger in just about anything,”[/say] Liam mused thoughtfully. [say]“Belt buckles, necklaces, hair pins…”[/say] Not all traditional ideas, perhaps, but the list of places that a knife could be hidden was truly remarkable - and could no doubt be useful for someone as small as Maea, who was more likely to be underestimated by her opponents. Liam tended towards an extra knife in his boot, but there were plenty of options should Maea wish to arm herself with something even more discreet. [say]“You just need a backup plan, if someone manages to get ahold of you. A well-placed stab wound will make just about anyone let go, if it doesn’t kill them first.”[/say]
As for their next round, Liam hummed thoughtfully. Another round of hand-to-hand would give Maea a chance to put some of his suggestions into practice, but he’d yet to really get a chance to test his Oakblade against anyone, and he had to admit that he was eager to give it a go. His gaze flickered towards the sword, then to his partner. [say]“With weapons, if you don’t mind.”[/say] Maybe it was his turn to learn something new. Offering a crooked smile, he added, [say]“I’ve been looking forward to seeing what my sword can do. I can’t think of anyone better to test it with than you.”[/say]
RE: all I ever desired is here with me - Maea - 07-20-2025
He was sowing interesting seeds here, and Maea thought she would be spending much of her time contemplating hidden weapons from now on. [say]"A hairstick, huh,"[/say] she mused, latching onto the idea she liked best. That would be easy to carry, both in the hair and in a pocket, up a sleeve - a simple sharpened twig would be enough to get in the habit with, and recalling something Liam had said she looked up at him with a hopeful expression. [say]"Would you be interested in crafting one for me? Not sure if that qualifies as carpentry, but… I'd love to carry something made by you."[/say] Fashioned by his hands, wrought with intention - no matter how simple a design, it would be infinitely more meaningful than picking something off the forest floor.
Smiling back, she nodded and followed him back to pick up the sword. She hadn't brought her own throwing discs this morning, so she went to a rack of practice weapons and picked out a shield and blunted sword for herself. [say]"This is not my best weapon,"[/say] she warned him with a wry grin, [say]"so if I fumble, please don't laugh too hard."[/say] Preparing herself to defend more than attack, Maea raised the shield up before her and gripped the sword as she'd been shown; light but firmly, without squeezing - like it was an extension of her arm. Moving it awkwardly, still searching for the proper balance point, she very much did not feel part of this particular sword. She hoped she wouldn't embarrass herself completely.
RE: all I ever desired is here with me - Liam - 07-20-2025
Pleased to have suggested something that Maea seemed to like, Liam was nonetheless surprised by her request. [say]“Of course,”[/say] he said, leaning to press a kiss to her forehead. It would be an honor to craft something for her, and meaningful, too: it would be like a little piece of him would be with her always, there to defend her should she need it. Of course, that meant that he needed to actually create a hairstick, and he was halfway down the rabbit hole of what that might entail when he remembered they were going another round.
Picking up his Oakblade, he was yet again surprised by how light it was. While sheathed, it had hardly any heft to it at all. It was only when he wielded it with intent that it would grow heavier, dealing devastating blows that would hopefully prove useful against his adversary. Maea selected a blunt sword and a shield for herself, and Liam smiled crookedly at her. [say]“I would never,”[/say] he assured her - particularly given that she was wielding them to help him get used to his own weapon.
Liam drew his own sword, leaving the sheath behind as he turned towards Maea. It was strange indeed to have the weapon shift weights as he thought of various attacks and defenses, but it should meld seamlessly with his intent. That was the theory, anyway.
Preparing to attack, Liam paused. [say]“Ready?”[/say] he asked, waiting for Maea’s affirmative. It was only when she agreed that Liam would move, sending a quick, light blow towards Maea, giving her the chance to get used to her choice of sword and shield.
RE: all I ever desired is here with me - Maea - 07-20-2025
Raising the shield, the blow glancing off it was felt all the way to the soles of Maea's feet. The difference between the warmup and this was immediate, numbing her arm to the elbow. Liam's stance noticeably worsened with the changing gravity however, and as she wanted to help him figure this out she backed away a step and raised the shield back up. Perhaps forward momentum would help - not unlike swinging an axe while chopping wood. So she would block and back up, block and back up until Liamm got the hang of it - as long as she could until her shield arm grew too numb from the abuse.
For her own part it became a good exercise in footwork, as the training area was purposely left with rocks and roots to stumble over if one wasn't paying attention. Stepping with precision, this was where wearing skirts in battle got a bit dicey. Even she wasn't immune to stepping on the hem - though for the time being it was going well.
RE: all I ever desired is here with me - Liam - 07-20-2025
The sound of sword glancing off of shield was menacingly loud, and Liam glanced up to make sure Maea was alright before trying again. It took a few blows, but eventually he managed to find a rhythm and balance that seemed to work for him. Maea worked patiently, blocking and backing, blocking and backing, until Liam had worked up a good sweat and called for a pause.
[say]“Its different,”[/say] he said, but his voice was alive with excitement and wonder. It was impossible to describe, but fascinating to work with, and a part of him looked forward to testing it in a real battle - even if he very much hoped that the need for a real battle was very far away indeed. Shifting the sword to his off hand, Liam flexed his sword hand, shaking out any residual numbness from the strong blows he’d rained down on Maea.
Then, because it was always good to know what one’s weapon was capable of, he held out the blade to Maea hilt-first. [say]“Do you want to try?”[/say]
RE: all I ever desired is here with me - Maea - 07-20-2025
By the time he called for a break, Maea was breathing hard. There wasn't anything wrong with her stamina most times, but here she felt the limits of it, and all the ways she still had to improve on her strength. Dropping the practice sword unceremoniously, she hastily undid the straps tying the shield to her arm and set it down on the ground to massage the numbness from the muscle. Even her shoulder ached, more bothersome by far than any number of cut lips.
[say]"Very different,"[/say] she agreed, more than a little impressed with the blade he'd worked so hard for. [say]"That's going to be a menace and a half to face when you get used to it. Adding techniques to the sheer weight of the impact is going to trip people up bad."[/say] Even knowing about the enchantment didn't help - what was heavy would remain heavy no matter what you threw at it.
A look of surprise and delight lit her up as Liam offered his treasure to her. Testing her arm to see if it would put up with anything more, Maea soon nodded and picked up her tools to pass them over. [say]"Sure. Just be careful not to let me hit you."[/say] She accepted the hilt and lifted it out of its owners hands, marvelling at the patterns rippling through the steel as light played across the flat. The hilt was still warm from Liam’s hand, the emerald at the pommel winking as though half aware and quietly mischievous.
[say]"When you're ready,"[/say] she told her partner, grasped the hilt in both her hands, and raised it to deal the first blow when the call came.
RE: all I ever desired is here with me - Liam - 07-20-2025
Watching Maea drop the training shield and start to rub her arm, Liam made a mental note to offer her a massage later. [say]"That's the goal,"[/say] Liam agreed. [say]"It's strange to get used to - the shifting weight of it."[/say] Which was, perhaps, an understatement. If anything, it was like he was starting from scratch to learn an entirely new weapon - not that he minded the added work. This, at least, would be a chore that he enjoyed.
The soldier accepted the shield and practice sword from Maea, promptly returning the blunt blade to the weapons rack in order to focus more completely on his shield work. [say]"I'll be careful,"[/say] he assured her with a warm smile. [say]"Ready when you are."[/say] And then he raised the shield, bracing his shield arm with his free hand as he watched the enchanted sword in his partner's grip.
RE: all I ever desired is here with me - Maea - 07-20-2025
Once Liam gave her the go-ahead, the slender woman let the Oakblade fall in a simple overhead cut. After seeing how it had pulled her lover this way and that she had at least some idea of what to expect, not that it saved her from staggering. The shifting weight of the blade made it drop with a suddenness that strained her wrists. If not for the two-handed grip she would have dropped it, and just barely reached the shield as it was.
Like an axe, she reminded herself as she recovered to try again; light as it turned in her hands, up and over - then heavy as it fell, like judgement or a sleepwalker down a flight of steps. That's how much control she felt like she had.
[say]"Feels more like I'm wrestling with the sword than attacking you,"[/say] she grunted, flushed and sweating from exertion by the time she'd managed to get a clean blow in on the shield. [say]"What do you think - does it work how you wanted it to?"[/say] For her it was definitely too big, but it fit perfectly in Liam's hand... With something like relief she passed it back to him. He'd be allowed to have it to himself; she would pass.
RE: all I ever desired is here with me - Liam - 07-20-2025
Maea's difficulty was bittersweet - Liam didn't enjoy seeing his partner struggling, but it was oddly reassuring that the sword seemed to be challenging to handle. It meant that once he got the hang of it, it would be his and his alone; if he was disarmed in a fight, say, his opponent would have a harder time using his own weapon against him. [say]"It does,"[/say] he confirmed as he accepted the sword back from Maea. [say]"It'll take some strategizing, though. Lots of practice."[/say] Lots of repetitions, learning how to balance and where to strike, molding his intent until it and the sword's path were one and the same.
Liam walked over to the sheath and tucked Oakblade away. [say]"Give me a few weeks, then we can have a proper spar with weapons,"[/say] he said, shooting Maea a grin. [say]"See how it holds up against you with your glaive or your chakrams."[/say] That, he was sure, would be a sight to see.
They'd been at it for a while, and they'd both worked up a sweat. If the flush on Maea's face was anything to go by, he'd guess that she'd warmed up - hopefully enough for his quest, even if she was unaware of that particular reasoning for today's training session. [say]"I think that's enough for today, if you're done,"[/say] Liam suggested. [say]"What do you think?"[/say]
RE: all I ever desired is here with me - Maea - 07-20-2025
[say]"Deal,"[/say] she grinned back, immediately enthusiastic again. [say]"Depending on how confident you feel by then I can even spice it up with some fire."[/say] Wiggling her fingers at him with a dramatic flair, a thread of crackling flame appeared to wind like a serpent around her digits, lashing outta in a mock strike - only to dissolve before ever coming near him.
Shifting around to test the lingering strength of her limbs, Maea eventually hummed in agreement. Continuing now wouldn't gain them much, only lead to overworking themselves. [say]"Definitely done,"[/say] she said. [say]"I want a bath, and lots of lunch, and maybe a nap... Want to join me?"[/say] A sly curve at the corner of her mouth made it questionable which particular want she desired his company for. Perhaps Liam would know, or start to suspect, that it was both; all three – definitely all of the things, always.
[FIN]