[Training] Stronger together

The Peregrine was sailing smoothly along over the ocean off the coast of King's End, a few dozen feet above the water. She rocked gently in the Flowerbirth breeze, but for the two people on her deck, well-used to her movements, she was as steady as solid ground. Boreal was perched high on the mast, peering down at her people curiously as they stood at arm's length, eyes locked.

Tal wasn't holding any weapons today. They were going at things bare-handed, as much for his peace of mind as not wanting blades or bludgeons that could go astray and damage the Peregrine. Magic was allowed, but so were items, and Tal had his Goggles pulled down and securely over his eyes. "Ready?" He gave a nervous smile, flexing his fingers and then, once Alys was ready, he lunged forward to make an attempted grab at her shoulder.

They sailed across the sea, the Peregrine rocking gently in the Flowerbirth breeze. It was a beautiful day, clear and sunny, and Alys could imagine very few things better than spending it with Tal.

Even if they were spending their time training.

It was not something that Alys had ever seen herself doing when she was younger and more naive about the world; but after everything she'd been through and seen, she had grown to see the value in being able to at least defend herself.

They'd decided on no weapons today, so she stood bare-handed, her feet braced solidly on the Peregrine's deck, the ship's movements as familiar as breathing after so many seasons traveling with her partner. "Ready," she agreed, returning Tal's nervous smile with what she hoped was a soothing one of her own - and then he was moving, lunging forward to attempt a grab at her shoulder.

Alys captured a passing breeze, using her air magic to strengthen it and blast it towards Tal's hand, hoping that the sudden burst of air would redirect his grab and cause him to miss; simultaneously, she spun in the opposite direction, hoping that it would put her momentarily out of reach while she planned out her own attack. With Tal's Goggles in place, there was no point in relying on her illusion, not in such close quarters, so she instead discarded that thought in favor of darting forward, aiming a punch towards Tal's side.

alys glasse

waiting for the right mind to drive insane

It was easier to not have a weapon in his hand, at least. He wasn't nearly as worried about doing something permanent when they were just punching and grappling each other, not with both of them capable of healing any injuries they might cause by accident. Alys's smile had the intended effect of easing some of Tal's anxiety even as she used her air magic to knock his grab astray. It was more from surprise than anything else, but regardless of the reason his fingers brushed by her sleeve without managing to close on anything solid.

She slipped away in a graceful spin that reminded him all over again of one of the many reasons he'd fallen in love with her. He was ready and waiting for her to draw her magic around her for an offensive spell to push him back--

He was surprised by her sudden rush and her reliance on a physical attack. It caught him so off guard that he barely shifted to meet it, pulling his arm back and ducking a little to take the hit on his bicep instead of his ribs. "Hey! That was pretty good!" What started as a yelp of startled pain turned to admiration but he didn't let either of them bask in the success just yet. He threw a short, sharp roundhouse punch towards her shoulder again, hoping that she wouldn't expect him to attack the same place twice.

Alys successfully dodged Tal's first attack, spinning away gracefully before rushing at him. She seemed to take him by surprise, although her punch landed on his bicep rather than his ribcage, and she grinned in response to his praise. "I'm getting better," she informed him as she settled back, preparing for an incoming blow.

And an incoming blow came as a short, roundhouse punch towards her shoulder. It was her turn to be surprised as Tal attacked the same place twice, but she managed to duck - and she was short enough that the movement caused his blow to glance off the top of her shoulder rather than hitting her full force. "You'll have to be quicker than that!" she sang out playfully, trying to draw him from his nerves with a bit of mischievousness.

Then, calling upon her air magic again, she sent a spiraling breeze whipping around Tal's head, hoping to send his hair flying into his eyes. With that as a distraction, she attempted a kick towards his thigh.

alys glasse

waiting for the right mind to drive insane

Her teasing taunts struck a chord in Tal, and something of the black guilt he'd been hauling around on his back since LongNight seemed to lift at seeing the brightness of her smile and the confidence in her movements. It gave him a little more faith in his own attacks and he shed some of the hesitation that he'd been holding onto when facing her - or anyone else. The concentration on his face broke, his scowl twitching up into a grin that was surprised from him when she sang out, and Boreal chortled her approval from overhead.

"Yeah? Just wait'll I-- Hey!" He recovered from his glancing miss, but before he could launch another attack a playful breeze descended on his head. Thanks to Koa his dark locks were actually trimmed and shiny, but he still kept his hair long enough to warm his ears and neck out of habit, and Alys's wicked zephyr worked like a charm. His Goggles were able to see through rain and snow and dark of night, but funnily enough 'hair' hadn't been included on the list he'd given Safrin. He tried to step back, swatting at the breeze in front of his face, but he missed the kick until it hit. A grunt was drawn from him, combining surprise, pride, and a slightly indignant huff of ouch! under his breath as he made a last-second grab for her foot in an attempt to pull her off-balance and get her in closer to his stronger arms.

Alys could feel the dark cloud that had plagued her partner since LongNight lifting, and even if she couldn’t chase it away entirely, it brought her no small amount of pleasure to see it gone even for the length of a spar. With a new grin on Tal’s face and Boreal chortling overhead, something tight in the seer’s chest relaxed - if only for the moment.

She laughed outright as her playful breeze tangled in Tal’s hair, seeming to distract him long enough for her kick to land; but despite her resounding success, she wasn’t quick enough this time to escape his retaliation. His hands closed on her ankle, and she gave an awkward little hop as she tried to yank her leg back - but Tal was stronger than her, and his grappling succeeded in getting her closer to him. For her part, Alys was just glad that she hadn’t crashed to the ground.

With a foot out of commission and entirely off-kilter, the seer sent her little breeze chasing across Tal’s skin, aiming for little tendrils of air to snake beneath his shirt in an attempt to tickle him into letting her go.

alys glasse

waiting for the right mind to drive insane

It was almost a normal day in the lives they had come to share together, missing only one key participant to make it perfect. But knowing that she might choose to rejoin them soon, having that hope on the horizon, made all the difference in the world. It let them smile again, and Alys's laughter pushed back LongNight's shadows, at least for a little while.

Her powers had successfully blinded him, but Tal could be pretty lucky with his flailing, and he knew he'd hit the jackpot when his grabby hand closed around a shapely ankle. He grinned and tugged, shaking his hair from his eyes. "Ha! Now I've got y'right where I want--hehe--wait! Hahaha! N-No fair!" That was cheating, was what it was! Clever fingers of air scurried under his shirt and over his arms, sending little twitches of involuntary reactions through the courier. He tried not to laugh, but his own body was betraying him.

Boreal just about fell out of the rigging, she was chortling so hard.

There was only one thing he could do in the situation. Tal dropped Alys's leg and lunged, attempting to pull her into a hug and pick her up to swing her around and around until she got too dizzy to use her nefarious powers against him!

Their spar had devolved into something decidedly less serious than it had started as, but Alys wouldn’t complain. This was far better than brooding, and as though to continue the merriment, the seer stuck her tongue out at her partner even as he yanked her closer. Hopping still on one foot as he tugged, she flailed her arms to stay somewhat upright even as her air magic did its work.

With Tal laughing, Alys let down her guard - so when he dropped her leg, she stumbled, and she wasn’t quick enough to dodge as he lunged closer, scooping her into a hug and spinning her around. ”Tal!” she shrieked, laughter ringing out over the Peregrine and the surrounding seas. With that one move, it seemed they were at an impasse; she could continue to use her air magic, but he could continue to spin her, and so they would go on and on until one of them tired - and it probably wouldn’t be her!

So she tucked her arms as best she could around her partner, snuggling in close. ”Okay! You win!” she giggled. Then, turning her face up, she grimaced playfully. ”I would say I’m getting better, but I’m pretty sure half of my moves only work on you.”

alys glasse

waiting for the right mind to drive insane

He swung her around, his laughter threading through her own as they spun. The Peregrine's deck moved beneath them but Tal moved with his ship without a thought, his feet sure and his balance steady in spite of the lingering tickles of wind that sent snorting giggles through his more joyous tones. She knew all his weak points, however, and in spite of how they were currently 'foes,' he couldn't help but soften his embrace and slow his spin as she snuggled close, even before she officially yielded the battle.

He didn't try to stop abruptly, but it only took a few more steps for them to drift to a halt, the world still spiraling around them as he gazed down into her warm eyes and grinned, all worries momentarily forgotten.

"They'd work on anyone on Caido with workin' eyes an' half a brain!" he proclaimed loyally in his partner's defense. And then, to seal the deal he grinned and bent his head down towards hers as if to whisper a secret.

"They're just especially effective on me!" And he chased away her grimace - however playful - with a kiss.

~Fin