[Training] why are thread titles so hard

Liam

I just want one more chance

Leafchange in Torchline was mild; Liam could see why Maea might have preferred it here, once upon a time. The only real indication that the seasons had changed was the nip in the breeze blowing in off the coast and the fog that lingered over the upper tiers of Haulani. Liam, for one, found it to be the perfect temperature for a morning of training, and he'd dressed accordingly: pants and boots (because this was training, not a vacation), and a short-sleeved shirt that was loose enough to be comfortable but tight enough that it wouldn't give opponents much to grab. He wore his Oakblade on his belt, but was otherwise unarmed.

He'd chosen the Rainbow Road for this morning's training because it was something different from what he was used to. Uneven and damp, the stones beneath his feet would make for treacherous footing, and the multitudes of geysers scattered over the terrain would require careful navigation. It was certainly a far cry from the quiet calm of the forest that he called home. Selecting a spot to get started, Liam began a series of warm-up exercises, enjoying the morning and the solitude.

To put my arms in fragile hands

Table inspired by the lovely Skylark <3

Can't touch me, like Gojo—Look good in all my photos

Kaisel has returned to Torchline with the careful plan of finding Caly once more, but he chickens out a bit on his way to the Hanged Man, and ends up just wandering the streets lost in thought. Maybe he should write her first. Maybe he should write her first. Maybe he should mail the letter instead of handing it off—because what then? Awkwardly stand there while she reads it? Tell her to read it later when it’s already everything he feels, written down? He's running out of time to make a move, he knows, but he's so anxious not to make another wrong one it feels like every footstep to take is a challenge.

It's one such absentminded stroll that he spies Liam on. As eager as he is to decide, the promise of wearing out nerves with something more physical and familiar is enticing. He needs something that isn’t thinking. Something that’ll leave him sweating and panting, his nerves beaten out of him blow by blow until only the answer’s left.

"Hey, Liam!" he calls out, becoming increasingly familiar with the other man who he's found to be a bit solemn, but otherwise easy to get along with, and definitely ripped enough to be a worthwhile sparring partner. "Wanna get some practice in together?" he offers with an easy smile. He's in his usual casual dress, boots and baggy pants and a hoodie drawn over his shirt, but it's fine enough to fight in.

Kaisel

Sexy jutsu, I feel like Naruto—Fightin' demons in my head like I'm Itadori

Liam

I just want one more chance

The quiet rush of the tide against the sand was broken every now and then by the roar of a geyser, and Liam stretched out his arms while admiring the scenery. It was certainly beautiful, he would give it that - not in nearly the same way as his beloved forests, but definitely worth visiting again. He wondered, briefly, if Maea had ever been here. He thought she might like it.

The voice that called out to Liam was becoming increasingly familiar as time went on. Barring the disastrous pool party and the punch that Liam had thrown against Kaisel (oops), he had nothing against the young man, and he turned at the sound of his name to offer an easy smile. "Kaisel, hey," he said. "Sure thing - feel free to join me. You looking to work on anything in particular?" Unarmed, weapons... Liam didn't have a preference, and he'd be happy to defer to Kaisel if he did.

To put my arms in fragile hands

Table inspired by the lovely Skylark <3

Can't touch me, like Gojo—Look good in all my photos

Kaisel squints at a geyser blowing its top, the glint of the sun in the spray casting a nice colorful backdrop behind Liam, but it also adds an addition of heat and humidity that makes him glad Longheat is over. His attention settles back on Liam as he returns the greeting and agrees, a ripple of relief tugging out of Kaisel's shoulders noticeably. "Oh thank the gods, I thought I was going to have to go for a run otherwise." Barely a tolerable exercise as it is when he's got drill sergeants or a ridiculously fit queen barking at him, but definitely insufferable alone.

As for what? "Just anything not running," Kaisel laughs. "I didn't really bring anything for training. I mean, I got knives and my chakram in my bag," he swings it around off his back, charm glinting in the sunlight as it spins with the motion. He pats it affectionately before letting it hit the sand at his feet. "But, well, unless you got armor laying around or wooden versions of everything I don't really wanna send either of us to the hospital, and holding back is no fun. So, what do you say, some good ol' fists and feet?"

Kaisel

Sexy jutsu, I feel like Naruto—Fightin' demons in my head like I'm Itadori

Liam

I just want one more chance

Liam barely contained a snort at Kaisel's relief; the soldier went on a run nearly every day, and found it to be a rather relaxing exercise. Still, he knew it wasn't for everyone, and he nodded in agreement. "Nope, no armor," Liam said. "No healing items, either, so - hand-to-hand it is." It would be interesting, pitting himself against someone who had trained with the dragoons. How much had their style changed over the years?

Unhooking his sword from his belt, Liam set it aside, stretching out his neck as he took up a defensive stance. Balancing lightly on the balls of his feet, he waited until Kaisel was ready before taking up an offensive tactic. Stepping towards Kaisel, he threw a simple, light one-two punch combination towards the young man's head, then tried to step out of range of any retaliatory measures.

1/4

To put my arms in fragile hands

Table inspired by the lovely Skylark <3

Can't touch me, like Gojo—Look good in all my photos

"Perfect!" he beams as Liam accepts the proposal, and after taking a second to set his bag somewhere a bit more secure, Kaisel steps back along the colorful road. It's a little slick from all the constant spray he notices, and it's deceivingly uneven, all thoughts he tucks away as he settles into a fighter's stance. His left leg leads, his right a bit behind, and both his hands are balled into fists and lingering in wait near his face. He nods at Liam, letting the man know he's ready.

As Liam steps in, Kaisel's gaze tracks him, the opening nothing fancy, more like a test. Kaisel's hands block each punch, swatting them away with an outwards shove, one hand always remaining by his head, snapping back if he has to move to the other hand. It feels like a rhythmic training drill, a warm up. He grins, certain he passed the test, as he steps in on pace with Liam's retreat. Pushing off his back leg he darts in abruptly, closing the distance with a telegraphed jab. He yanks that hand back to block while his right one swings low with a hook towards Liam's left side, and he keeps the distance close. "Don't hold back now," he warns, just in case Liam thought he had to go easy.

---

1/4 Kaisel blocks the two punches and goes in for a jab, right hook combo

Kaisel

Sexy jutsu, I feel like Naruto—Fightin' demons in my head like I'm Itadori

Liam

I just want one more chance

Yeah, okay, maybe it was a test. Given that they hadn't sparred before, and that this was a fairly low-stakes match, Liam was hesitant to go all-in. His light jabs were easily blocked, Kaisel's technique impeccable. The soldier grinned, pleased that apparently the dragoons had not been lax in recent seasons.

Kaisel's return attack was quick and sharp: a jab that Liam dodged backwards to avoid, and a right hook that be blocked easily. The young man's warning brought a competitive edge to Liam's smile. "Alright," he said. "Here we go, then." Circling Kaisel, Liam took a few steps to the side, then darted in, aiming a hard, fast punch directly at the young man's face with his right hand, using his left to attempt to ward off any return blow.

---

2/4

To put my arms in fragile hands

Table inspired by the lovely Skylark <3

Can't touch me, like Gojo—Look good in all my photos

There's a grunt of effort as Kaisel's hook connects with a block, casting the energy off and away. He settles back into the easy, bouncy, weight of his stance, hands drawn back near his head like a spring that finished getting pulled. He can see the shift in Liam, that knowing twinkle of one warrior to another that they can do more, that they can test something.

"I must have one of those faces," he mutters as he ducks smoothly under the punch Liam throws. "The kind people wanna punch," he exhales a laugh as he drives an uppercut towards Liam's gut as he rises from the slip, finishing with a cross towards Liam's chest. His lighthearted tone suggests he's not actually bothered, but again, he's not trying to meet up with Caly with his face doubled in size. He should probably get his hands on some kind of healing tool next, once he finishes the quest Frey gave him. "First Mel, now you." Kaisel keeps moving after his attack, not wanting to make himself an easy target for Liam.

---

2/4 ducks the face punch and uppercuts towards Liam's gut and a cross to his chest

Kaisel

Sexy jutsu, I feel like Naruto—Fightin' demons in my head like I'm Itadori

Liam

I just want one more chance

Kaisel ducked, his muttered commentary drawing a light laugh from Liam as the soldier withdrew his arm, returning to a guard stance just as his opponent drove upwards. Blocking the uppercut with a grunt of effort, Liam slipped to the side to avoid the cross. "Getting yourself into trouble, are you?" he asked with a lighthearted grin. He remembered being young and dumb; if he were a betting man, he'd put money on Kaisel having done something to earn a punch in the face at some point or other. Gods knew he had.

The soldier sidestepped again, feinting right before driving a hook towards Kaisel's side, his off hand adding in a punch towards the younger man's stomach for good measure. "I'd say if it's just two people out of all of Caido, you're probably doing okay." It could be worse, at any rate - Liam, at least, didn't really have it out for Kaisel.

---

3/4

To put my arms in fragile hands

Table inspired by the lovely Skylark <3

Can't touch me, like Gojo—Look good in all my photos

The feint is enough to trick Kaisel, who despite his years of training, is still years shy of Liam's practice. He knows it too, but only when it's too late to change course, that hook coming in like a freight train to his left side. His teeth click together as he braces against it, core stiffening and body leaning into the punch to shorten whatever additional force he can. His hand is already angling low, batting away Liam's second assault, not so slow as to be had entirely. Air hisses between his teeth when the impact lands, but this isn't the first bruise a mistake has earned him, and he can't afford to get sloppy because of it. "Two for now," he grins, though it's a bit weaker now as he steps towards the way Liam had punched him, cutting in slow as he speaks, trying to lead Liam's attention.

Kaisel then suddenly steps to the other side, a quick cross aimed at Liam's chest, the strength driven from the way all of Kaisel's body heaves into the punch, anchored at his hips as they tilt into the blow. He snaps his hand back towards his face, his weight shifting onto his right leg, his left leg snapping out with a powerful kick towards Liam's right calf. By keeping it aimed low, Kaisel can draw it back under him faster. Koa always yelled at him about kicks, because the right timing means you can be caught up or unbalanced with them, but as long as you do it right, you can stay relatively anchored and in control, and the trade off is high if the kick lands. At the very least they usually create a little breathing room, because no one wants to walk into one of those.

---

3/4 hit by Liam's hook but blocks the other punch. Throws a cross at his chest and a kick at his calf.

Kaisel

Sexy jutsu, I feel like Naruto—Fightin' demons in my head like I'm Itadori

Liam

I just want one more chance

The fact that Liam's hook landed squarely was satisfying, and he grinned in spite of himself as he felt his fist connect with Kaisel's side. Still, the young man was away before the second punch could land, earning him a respectful nod. "For now?" he laughed, moving back into a blocking position and watching as Kaisel moved. "Don't tell me you're planning to amass a collection?"

The young man's next punch came fast and hard, and Liam blocked it with a forearm, hissing through his teeth at the jolt of the impact. But this time, he'd miscalculated: thinking that the hit was all that would come, he failed to notice the incoming kick until it was too late. Kaisel's foot drove into Liam's right calf hard, and the soldier grunted with the sudden shooting pain. Kicks, it seemed, were his downfall; he'd have to drill with Maea when he went home, seeing as she'd managed to get in a few good kicks on him last time they'd sparred, too.

But for now, he ignored the ache in his calf and refocused his efforts on Kaisel, who had managed to get a little distance while Liam recovered. Now he'd have to close the distance - so he did, rushing at the younger man in a sudden move, aiming to tackle him around the middle and take him to the ground.

---

4/4

To put my arms in fragile hands

Table inspired by the lovely Skylark <3

Can't touch me, like Gojo—Look good in all my photos

Kaisel's laugh answers the question for a minute while they work out positioning around it. "I just mean only two have made an attempt, I could count a few more who'd like to try." Most of Caly's family, hell even Caly herself probably. That'd get him up to five or six easy. "You think I get a prize after I earn enough?" There's mischief to his words, especially since Mel and Liam's punches had all been during spars and with no ill-intent, but the memory of Caly's withdrawal sends something sharper and colder behind the humor he's trying to wear.

It's likely why, even after his own hits landed and his defense drew back up, he left himself open to Liam's tackle. Defense does no good if it's just for show, unless it's all a bluff, but that still requires some intention, and dancing away when the bluff fails. Instead Kaisel's is all hollow, his thoughts wandering back to the night everything went to hell, regret for all the things he could have done better like copper in his mouth.

No wait, that's just the blood from his lip where his teeth nicked it when he landed on the hard fucking ground. Instinct attempted to dodge at the last second, but without thought, and on such slick footing, he had no real hope, just enough to tip his chin to his chest and keep him from a concussion. A groan escapes as he wriggles under Liam's weight, a punch thrown to the man's side for good measure as he tries to escape the grapple.

"Ugh, I think I'm done," he admits when they finally untangle, spitting red off to the side.

---

4/4 Kaisel is tackled and bleeding from his mouth for it. He tries to get out of the grasp and punches at Liam's side as he does.

Kaisel

Sexy jutsu, I feel like Naruto—Fightin' demons in my head like I'm Itadori

Liam

I just want one more chance

Liam laughed at that. A prize for being punched - that was a new one, unless one was talking about the underground fight rings that no doubt existed all over Caido, but in Stormbreak in particular. "We'll ask the gods to craft a champion's belt just for you," he teased. Then he was rushing at Kaisel, taking the younger man down in a tackle that worked a little better than Liam had intended. The punch that Kaisel threw as he wriggled free landed, but it was weaker than those that came before it, and Liam rolled away to spring lightly to his feet.

Spotting the red that Kaisel spat off to the side, Liam winced. "Sorry about that," he said, offering a hand to help the young man to his feet, should he want it. "You alright? I hear Torchline has that fountain with healing properties..." It didn't look that bad, but it seemed like the kind of thing that Liam should offer after actually managing to draw blood.

fin

To put my arms in fragile hands

Table inspired by the lovely Skylark <3