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+---- Thread: [SE] I will find my way (/showthread.php?tid=11367)
I will find my way - Zavien - 05-20-2025
After their lovely trip to Hak Etme, Zavien had the oh-so-brilliant idea to visit Halo, just to prove to himself that he was doing better now that Sol was back. After all, the hardest test might just be going back to the place it all happened. Luckily, Tal was the best of friends, willing to fly him out to the freezing territory.
As the air chilled and the treacherous icebergs began to appear below them, Zavien did his best to distract himself. And what better way to do so than what guys do best?
He readied his fists, trying to keep in mind that he needed to focus on accuracy and coordinating hand and eye. Taking up a loose, easy soldier's stance, he gave Tal a confident grin - not one of arrogance, but a familiarity with his own strengths and abilities. After all, he'd spent many sessions training with Koa, their resident boxing champion.
Nodding his head, Zavien shrugged his shoulders to loosen the fabric of his shirt before saying, [say]"Okay. Ready when you are."[/say]
RE: I will find my way - Talyson - 05-20-2025
Tal figured it was the least he could do after Zavien had helped him with his quest and shhh, never mind that he'd been helping Zavien scout, too, so he'd been willing to fly around the northern horn of the Draig and take the Dragoon to his old home. He was overdue to visit his sisters, and he had several packages heading that way anyways, so really, it all worked out.
And at least in Longheat the bitter cold was only inconvenient rather than lethal. The icebergs below were still treacherously deadly to any seagoing vessel, but the Peregrine sailed by well overhead, and the sun was shining down today, striking blinding gleams off the towers of ice and snow from below. The winds were strong but steady, and Tal felt confident locking the wheel on their course and taking some time to train with his friend.
Not with his Dagger, of course. He wouldn't be training with that with anyone except the demigods anymore.
Which meant bare fists. "Y'know, I originally got that damned Dagger so I wouldn't have t'get up close an' personal in a fight," he mused ruefully, shucking out of his Vest and rolling up his sleeves before raising his own fists. His Cuff sparkled on one wrist, keeping the cold at bay, and he kept his other jewelry on, but he at least wrapped the hand on which Frey's ring rested to cushion its blows.
His stance was messier than the soldier's, looser and less formal. He was no boxer, despite the corded muscles that now slid, taut and sinewy, beneath his shirt. But he'd been bullied plenty as a scrawny twig of a boy and he'd come out of it a scrapper with more than a few dirty tricks. Especially against people who were bigger than him. But, hail, if Zavien wanted him to go first--
Tal grinned and lunged forward, feinting a jab at Zavien's nose with his right and then aiming a vertical fist punch at the other man's right ribs with his left, shifting to get around his opponent's side to work him towards the mast behind him.
RE: I will find my way - Zavien - 05-20-2025
Zavien might be more physically built than his friend, but Tal wasn't weak either. He could see the shift of his shirt, how it sat on his broad shoulders like they held a secret beneath. His advantage might be technique and skill while Tal's was pure speed and hidden strength. It made him all the more interested to see how they compared without the factors of items.
He didn't have much time to think on it before a punch was coming straight for his face. A small shuffle was enough to move him out of range, but he still felt the shift of air that brushed his eyes, momentarily distracting him from the fist twisting towards his ribs. His arm moved down instinctually, covering the scarring that sat beneath as he let out a small grunt and absorbed the impact.
[say]"Geez, man. Going straight for the jugular, huh?"[/say] There was a bit of breathy laughter in his voice as he spoke, not letting the moment linger before striking himself. He lashed out with his left fist, aiming up towards Tal's gut as he twisted away from the corner, aware of his surroundings and the risks they'd pose.
RE: I will find my way - Talyson - 05-22-2025
The jab was dodged, but Tal had expected that. It let him get a glancing blow in on his friend's ribs, however, even if Zavien blocked most of it and took the weight of the punch on his arm instead. It was a good move, but Tal wouldn't have let up if the Dragoon hadn't spoken and drawn the courier into a moment of conversation where he wasn't pressing his advantage.
"That's how we fight in Halo," Tal affirmed with a wicked grin. "It's too cold t'fuck around for too long!" He started to dart forward again, but this time the soldier was ready for him. As Zavien slipped away his fist caught the courier in his side as Tal tried to twist too late. It pushed a grunt from him and a huff of surprise before he shook it off with a rueful grin. "Sure, an' th'first one's free," he taunted, all bravado as he bent his knees and tried to slide under Zavien's guard to aim a jab under his left ribs this time.
RE: I will find my way - Zavien - 05-22-2025
He chuckled at Tal's wicked grin, surprised to see it when he'd targeted such a weak point on a friend. However, it was all in the name of practice and good fun, and he just returned the smile as he scanned his friend. [say]"I didn't realize you were so ruthless."[/say] And he would never make the mistake of underestimating him.
The twist of his form was rewarded with a glancing hit against the man's flank, but he didn't bask in the victory of the moment, already moving to gain some distance. It wasn't enough though, and Tal was dipping below his guard. Zavien lunged back enough to lessen the blow, but he still let out a grunt of his own, laughing as he said, [say]"I feel like I already paid for it."[/say] Then he stepped forward to throw a feint with his left before throwing a right hook at Tal's flank.
RE: I will find my way - Talyson - 05-23-2025
The teasing shouldn't have hit a nerve. It had been over a season and a half since LongNight, and while he knew he hadn't put it behind him, Tal had thought he'd buried it deep enough to stop feeling the prickle of shame and guilt at passing comments. Still, he flinched a little, his grin faltering along with his guard so that Zavien landed the first real hit of the match. The sting of pain helped him rally, at least, and he shoved the shadows back in their box as he covered the slip with boasting and a followup that landed a lot better than his first hit had.
"Yeah? Well, you'll have t'talk t'th'manager about that!" Did it make sense? Probably not, but Tal was grinning again at his success, utterly unrepentant - and this time he was ready for Zavien's feint. He slipped back a step so that the breeze from the jab ruffled his bangs but didn't connect and was already fading to the right as the hook came in. He slipped away from the hit so that it only grazed his shirt but he stepped in immediately with a followup punch towards his friend's chest, short and sharp - though maybe not quite at his full strength.
RE: I will find my way - Zavien - 05-23-2025
The first true hit landed but Zavien didn't miss the grimace at his words, suspicion and curiosity creeping into the back of his mind after months of catching similar expressions. He'd have to ask him about it later because Tal was taking this spar seriously and if he didn't pay attention, he was going to wind up on his backside seeing stars.
The strange comeback flashed confusion across Zavien's features, but he huffed a laugh as he was moving to attack. His fists came forward, hitting nothing but air and a bit of fabric. It didn't surprise him, even as Tal's unfazed form rushed forward to strike again. He turned just enough to avoid taking it square in the chest, the punch glancing against his shoulder. The impact rattled his breath, a small grunt leaving as he used the momentum to duck under the man's arm in a close guard strike of his own, twisting to push a fist towards his gut with about half strength.
RE: I will find my way - Talyson - 05-23-2025
Overconfident. That's what Tal had gotten. He'd been relying too much on his speed and lither build to avoid Zavien's last blow and thought he'd gotten the measure of his friend's reactions. The Dragoon surprised him, not just by letting the blow slip past at an angle that avoided the worst of it but by riding the retreat of Tal's arm right back into the courier's body. Tal tried to bring his elbow around to block but wasn't quite fast enough and was caught squarely in the stomach.
He tightened his muscles to take the blow but the air was still pushed from his diaphragm in a soft wheeze as he folded around Zavien's fist.
Folded around it and tried to grab it, attempting to control the arm before it could be pulled out of range. And not simply control it - if successful,Tal made every attempt to use that arm as leverage to pull himself forward and Zavien down as he went in for a headbutt up into the Dragoon's forehead with his own considerably hard skull.
RE: I will find my way - Zavien - 05-24-2025
Perhaps Zavien gave himself too little credit for his skills, somehow managing to successfully subvert Tal's defenses and gain access to the vulnerable stretch of his abdomen. Even his decreased strength did more than he'd intended, listening as his friend's breath constricted into a wheeze that made him wince. He'd have to check on the injury after, not caring that the courier had a ring to heal it.
His body leaned back in preparation of retreat, already anticipating the next attack that might serve as retribution, but he didn't see the double-edged tactic coming. In a jerk of broken momentum, Zavien's arm was yanked forward, his eyes barely registering before the contact reverberated through his skull. Like a gong, it struck through everything thought, stunning him for a second before he was able to regain his bearings.
[say]"Ow! What the heck, Tal?!"[/say] It was said more in playful outrage than pain, a hefty dose of laughter winding through his words as he tried to pull away and rub at the welt he knew was forming on his forehead. He'd be impressed if he didn't have a persistent headache for the next few days. Chuckling, he said, [say]"I'll give it to you, I didn't see that one coming."[say]
RE: I will find my way - Talyson - 05-24-2025
The only problem with the headbutt was that it hurt Tal, too. Just not as much, since he knew what was coming and was able to angle his head to make sure he took the least damage from it. But he sure felt the moment of impact and the way Zavien reeled back was anything but feigned. The courier grinned through his own incipient headache and straightened up, releasing his friend so the Dragoon could get some space.
The complaint was music to his ears, as was the laughter letting him know that Zav hadn't taken it personally. Tal stripped the wraps from his right hand and reached out to clap his friend on the shoulder - letting the healing power of his ring flow into the Dragoon, first. "Warned ya, didn't I? No one ever expects y't'punch 'em with your head!" Which was absolutely true given how dumb of a move it was. But it worked just often enough to make it worth keeping in the toolbox. "I better get back t'steerin' if you've had enough. I know I sure have!" He touched his stomach gingerly with a rueful grin of his own before reaching for his Vest and heading for the wheel once more.
~fin