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Posted: Thu Jun 12, 2008 11:43 am
Paranoia. That itching feeling between your shoulder blades. It saved lives unknowingly sometimes, but as a fighter your life could depend on it almost all the time. Just that feeling, that paranoia, makes you almost certain someone is behind you. Ruuvan didn't get worried about such things, it was common, but when you cannot see anything ahead of you and you get that sensation, especially after a fight which you wanted a rematch, you're going to turn around. Maximos was silent, Ruuvan wasn't sure he was there, it was all a sixth sense of sorts.
Ruuvan spun on his right foot, head turning first to catch the shadow approaching him. What was he left with as defence? His bow. It came to him naturally, the way he held it and whipped the top around to knock the blade from its path, it just came back to him. Yes, it felt strange, but he did not fight or question what was happening. Never before could he remember fighting like this, not since coming to Gaia, but it felt right. It felt like how it was meant to work.
Five feet long, hard as steel, light as a feather. Without the string pulled back it acted like a staff almost, slightly bent, but straight enough to maintain use up close. Short, quick whipping moves were key.
The first strike came up instinctively, slapping at the wrist holding the dagger. Perhaps strong enough to knock it out, but definitely strong enough to push it away. Without waiting a second Ruuvan planted his left foot slightly forward and lashed out with the bottom of his bow. A simple case of twisting his wrist quickly to send both strikes within a few seconds of each other, one to save him, the other aimed to crack Maximos in his left knee.
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Posted: Thu Jun 12, 2008 11:32 pm
First attacks are never meant to land.
How much? What kind? How fast? How strong? Thats what you learn from a first attack. From this he learned that Ruuvan had strong fighter instincts, or eyes in the back of his head. He learned that paranoia saved lives. It worked for some, but not this man. Paranoia was based on fear, Maximos was fearless.
He very clearly saw the elf turn around. Ruuvan would find Maximos' eyes full of a cold deadly efficiency that defied words. There was focus there, intensity. And beside it, an emptiness.
Ruuvan turned, that meant the target shoulder was moving away. Maximos was focused on his target, he noted it was being moved and was already abandoning his course of action before the bow was swung. Though as the bow was infact being swung, simple logic told him it was being swung in defense. And that should his arm stay in motion, he would have the chance and timing to interact with the bow directly. Pure, cold, efficient, logic.
He did two things, simultaneously, with frightening efficiency.
One. Maximos' hand came down as if it was going to continue its strike, but his hand pulled back slightly, so that instead of the bow hitting his wrist, it would hit his blade. The moment the edge of the shortblade was struck, Maximos released it. Naturally, as his hand was pushing down, and the bow up, the blade flipped and flew backwards and due to gravity, downwards. Back and down, directly back into his waiting hand as it was moving backwards. Where it had once been held in a reverse grip, blade down, it was now held its blade up. And he swung. Directly under the bow's wooden front. He slashed forward, not aiming for Ruuvan at all but something a few inches behind the wooden length...the unguarded, ungripped, and unarmored...bowstring. Even with his elven speed, Ruuvan wouldnt likely be able to move his hands, dedicated to a strike, to pull back the string over a foot away in order to clear the blade. And whats a bow, that cant fire? Or an archer, who cannot shoot?
Two. As the bow went up to stop the dagger, Maximos having already realized his first attack was a failure was already into his next. He brought his right arm down, gripping the shortsword at his side, and in one quick motion he brought it across in a slash aimed to slice a deep line across Ruuvan's midsection. As the elf's bow, and hands were likely occupied high up above the shoulders, he had more than enough room to slash low just above the waist, where the elf was undefended. The black clad man even stepped forward, into the swing just to drive the blade that much deeper. Ruuvan just wouldnt have the time to go for that second bow movement.
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Posted: Sat Jun 14, 2008 3:01 pm
Paranoia, as Ruuvan understood it, was an itching that told him someone was behind him. Only once before had he listened to this feeling, turned around, and was faced with nothing. It was a honed ability, but moving on.
Ruuvan only had his right hand on the bow, the flick of his wrist making the two strikes come so close together, and the bow itself was held vertically so it pretty much covered his entire body. It wasn't a full swing to make it horizontal, just a simple twitch forward with the top and bottom, of course he stopped after the first; Maximos had changed his attack, switching dagger hands and going for his bowstring. Simultaneously the short sword was drawn and slashed out at him.
As soon as he saw the dagger drop his hand went for the string, not because he knew Max was aiming for it, but because he knew this bow would pack one hell of a wollop when it was released. He had never used it as such before... but he knew. Again, it was a strange thing to have it come back so naturally. He drew the string back straight away, his index and middle finger getting nicked on the tips as the dagger came in. It was ignored, though blood was dripping off his fingers. He quickly shifted the bow to his left to intercept the blade, step forward and bring himself closer, forcing the bow against Maximos' sword and arm, then released the string.
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Posted: Sat Jun 14, 2008 7:14 pm
A bow.
A bow is a very interesting device, but bound by certain lows of functionality. A bowstring is attached to either side of the bow. If it is pulled at an awkward angle the bow will not tighten, it need be pulled by the center.
Ruuvan could pull his bowstring, but all he would be moving was the center of the string, and the center of the string was no where Maximos was headed. Rather his shortblade slash was aimed for the closer, edge of the bow. The part where string met wood. He did not switch hands, no that would take too long, when the shortblade was struck, it fell free, flipped back and landed in the same hand it once exited. A hand waiting. A hand expecting the release and turn of the blade. A hand directly next to the contact point of the bow. A point possibly retreating and yet still very close. And very much capable of being cut.
If the string was cut, which seemed most likely with the angle of the bow, and the fact Ruuvan would have abandon his attack and defense all together to avoid such a cut. And should it succeed would send the pulling hand, likely flying into Ruuvan's face with the unexpected release.
Should it strike, should bow meet the bone of Maximos' right arm. Ruuvan would hear a resounding metal "dong". That arm was not easily broken, as their last round had revealed. Should the elf have struck his chest, leg, any other bone Maximos might be in for a world of pain. As it stood, the arm would hold, and as the ground was sandy Maximos would find himself slid back back a good 6inches in place.
He would immediately drop, squatting low, making it look very much as if he was catching his footing. His shortblade being brought down with blinding speed, his goal simple. He aimed to jab the shortblade clean through Ruuvan's foot. Could the elf recover, and defend, all at the same time from a stab in a most unorthodox of places?
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Posted: Sat Jun 14, 2008 10:30 pm
Rain Yupa No. No, he would not. Rain was already injured from the previous low blow, unarmed versus a very dangerous opponent, was unable to get them off balance at all, and was positioned poorly because of all three above factors. So yeah, Rain would go to his knees again, since no clever tricks would get him out of this situation, his face contorted with pain, beads of sweat dotting his brow. His grip on the scythe would slip and slide off, as he would need both arms to keep himself from tumbling forward with the force of percieved gravity. With the foot-fu of wrath combo complete, upon confirmed hitting of the target, the he-she drew back his foot so that he would be standing normally. "No touchy my toy." Just when things looked grim on Rain, luck was on his side. For Donald moonwalked backwards several steps. Then, for no logical reason that can be found, played like his scythe was a guitar like earlier. Paying no heed to Rain who was in a world of pain. What was that in the sky? A bird? A Plane? 2 birds mating in mid-air? No. It was a gift from the heavens. Nah. It was just the staff from earlier coming down from the sky. Target spot would be a couple of feet away from Rain so that it would land near him and he would be safe. Talk about luck.
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Posted: Sun Jun 15, 2008 7:38 pm
The string was cut, his efforts were in the wrong area after all, and his hand did indeed fly back towards him. The bottom connection was severed, leaving the thing looking more like a fishing pole than a bow. Of course he was pulling back at the time, force exerted on both ends of the bow was equal, and now it was all on the top.
Ruuvan was pulling it from an awkward angle to begin with, normally drawing back level with his ear, but it was more chest-height. The top of the bow came back, his hand on the string slapping him rather sharply in the gut, the bottom of the bow, however, was sent towards Maximos' crotch. An unplanned move, one Ruuvan was not aware of as the top of his bow slapped his forehead causing him to reel backwards. Enemy's crotch and his own head would be his simultaneously before he took those stunned steps back.
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Posted: Sun Jun 15, 2008 9:26 pm
Maximos didnt defend. Truth be told, he was already committed to slashing his short sword with his right arm. He was aiming, as before for... Quote: ...to slash low just above the waist, where the elf was undefended. There was no stopping that and suddenly twisting angles in the split second it takes for a bow to snap forward. But Maximos didnt have to defend. He was committed to his attack. That meant that his arm was already moving low, and in front of his own waist, as the sword was sheathed at his hip. Without doing a thing, his arm as already in the way of any sort of vertical attack at the crotch. His arm had to reach across his own waist to grab the sword, and move it any length at all. And so... Quote: Ruuvan would hear a resounding metal "dong" and a reverberating humm. That arm was not easily broken, as their last round had revealed. Should the elf have struck his chest, leg, any other bone Maximos might be in for a world of pain. As it stood, the arm would hold, and as the ground was sandy Maximos would find himself slid back back a good 6inches in place. He would immediately drop, squatting low, making it look very much as if he was catching his footing. His shortblade being brought down with blinding speed, his goal simple. He aimed to jab the shortblade clean through Ruuvan's foot. Could the elf recover from being thonked in the head, and defend, all at the same time from a stab in a most unorthodox of places?
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Posted: Fri Jun 20, 2008 8:02 pm
Maximos was a talented fighter; every spar the two had the shadow would draw first blood, this was no exception.
The short blade stabbed through his right foot as he stumbled back, stopping him from taking a further step back and causing him to lose his footing. Elves were renowned for their agility and all that, but the crack to his forehead had seen to a miscalculation. Two swords would've helped a lot better than a bow-staff, but he was getting a feel for it already. Sometimes it took blood to drive the lessons home.
Ruuvan twisted his body as he fell, bringing the staff about and stabbing it into the ground, stopping him from falling any further. His right foot was pinned, but his left was free, and he swung it around to kick the hand holding the sword in an attempt to dislodge it. Yes, it would hurt once it tore out, but he would be able to move again.
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Posted: Fri Jun 20, 2008 9:13 pm
Every spar save for the last. First blood went to the elf then.
This time things went as expected, as planned, as strategized.
Ruuvan's foot was pinned, should the elf had fallen back the cut would have have expanded, possibly splitting the foot. But he was nimble and quick and caught himself.
Only as he did, Maximos was already in motion.
He ripped the knife clean out, as he immediately stood tall and pushed forward with a firm step. His goal? To close the space between the men, as he brought the dagger straight up across the elves chest, neck and possibly face, in a single straight motion. Had this been any other man, Maximos would have followed the inevitable shock, of having a knife wretched into and free of a foot with a slash to the throat. You see a foot doesnt work the same after its been cut as such, balance is off, muscles malfunction. Ruuvan would likely adapt, and so Maximos did as well, adapting his throat slash by moving closer than normal to cut the chest and upwards.
As for the kick, Maximos was standing, his right hand wouldnt be in nearly the same place as it was. Niether would the dagger, his side should block the motion, as the elf was so close that he likely didnt have the room to gain much momentum or force. Even still, as Maximos right hand was straight down, from the vicious impact earlier, it now bent, it would place the blade of his sword directly in the path of the motion he saw out of his peripheral vision.
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Posted: Sun Jun 29, 2008 6:18 pm
And the pain came before his foot came close, tearing from his foot to his brain. Why was he not blocking it out as well as before? Maybe it was the whack to the head, which hurt like a b***h, making him lose control. Not enough to let Maximos slice him from stomach to chin though.
Ruuvan was holding the staff with both hands, his right reached across his body awkwardly to hold him up. Why stay so off-balanced and open for attack anyway? He let go with his right hand, twisting his arm to bring his protective bracer to meet Maximos' blade. His right leg bent slightly, his entire posture sliding down the bow ever so slightly. Pressing down on the blade slightly with his bracer, to stop it coming any further up to meet his skin, Ruu quickly pushed off, hopefully knocking the blade back down, and kicked off the ground with his right foot.
It only got him a couple of feet away from his opponent, but he had both feet free and quickly got his balance back. Pain was dissipating, his head returning to some normality. His eyes were locked on Max, waiting for a move, his left hand holding the bow in the centre as his right felt for the ends of the bow string that had been cut.
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Posted: Mon Jun 30, 2008 12:40 am
This was different.
This was a different sort of man entirely.
Ruuvan's defense was solid. His bracer collided with the rising blade letting out a dull "c***k" followed by the sound of metal grinding against metal as the Shadow jerked his kept a constant pressure on the defense.
Simultaneously, his right arm cocked, pulling the short sword in his right hand back for a thrust through the gut. Cocking back...but not thrusting, not yet.
Maximos was rising from a knelt position, and his blade was stopped thus he was stopped.
The moment Ruuvan leaped back, Maximos knew. If not for his eyes, and ears, if not for countless senses it was because the pressure on his blade from Ruuvan's forearm was released. This was the trigger for Maximos to burst into motion.
This left the elf retreating and Maximos in the perfect position to push forward instead of up on his right leg and burst across the distance. Ruuvan lept back, sure, but he didnt gain any space. Those shockingly intense eyes of Maximos' met his and stared deep.
Mid leap, the elf would find the Shadow's short sword stabbed forward across the distance between the men for his gut. Mid leap, where his mobility was at its weakest, where his feet held no ground. If it was successful, Ruuvan would be impaled. And should he be, Maximos foot would grind to a halt, as he would immediately rip the black back free, and take a quick step back and away from his opponent.
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Posted: Tue Jul 15, 2008 3:58 am
As Ruuvan opened up that little bit of distance between them, he brought his right arm back to his side, slightly raised, as he came to land on the ground a few feet behind him. Maximos, however, was once again intended to skewer the elf. Thrusting attacks were always so deadly and efficient.
Once again Ruu brought down his right bracer, swinging his arm down to knock the blade off to the side, away from his gut and into the air. As the bracer hit, and Ruu landed with his left foot, he thrust out his right leg powerfully towards the shadow's gut. The opposing forces, considering Maximos' forward momentum for the thrust meeting Ruuvan's kick, would be enough to separate the two again. Unless the shadow once again adapted, which Ruuvan had no doubt that he would.
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Posted: Tue Jul 15, 2008 7:10 pm
(( Okay Maximos ))
Off in the middle of nowhere was Dorkuto Poozumaki taking a nap into dreamy land. It would be within this dream-verse that the upcoming battle would take place. Onwards to slumberland.
Within this dream, a half-elf could be seen furiously kicking the ground in a hissy fit. The man's clothing of a brown robes with sandals is commonly seen or atleast different colorings thereof being worn. There was unusuality, though. For this man had a chest akin to a large breasted woman. To add onto the unusual-ness, he had a yellow bra on the outside of the robe as well as a skirt on, also on the outside, that was designed with the likeness of Looney tunes boxer jokes. White with red hearts shapes all over it.
In his right hand blade-portion-pointed downwards was a straight-staffed scythe that was as long as the male hermaphrodite was tall. Blade extended 2 feet in a 'low arc' and was pointed towards the direction the hermaphodite's back was facing.
The reason for the angry display? Dorkuto blames the ground for bumping into his beloved scythe that he had named Shitsuke Belchiha. The truth being that the scythe 'bumped' into the ground from being held too low.
(( edited the add the word 'named' .))
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Posted: Wed Jul 16, 2008 3:55 am
Adapt he did.
His sword was knocked away, his hand opened letting it slide upwards, and then quickly closed. Effectively, Ruuvan had just flipped Maximos' sword for him, so that it was now held in reverse. Blade down.
There was a kick. And Maximos was kicked. Now Maximos was going rather fast, charging. So in order to stop him, and not just be bowled over Ruuvan was not only going to have to put serious oomph into that kick, he was going to have to hold it. A simple tap wouldnt do.
The kick would land. A foot smashing into Maximos' gut.
The Shadow immediately adapted, even as his body was recoiling around the leg, his hands swung downwards. The two blades aiming to converge on the assaulting elves leg. If Ruuvan pulled it back now, he was simply going to be bowled over by the force of Maximos' impact. But if he didnt, he'd find, two blades buried in his leg. One for the meat of the thigh, the shorter in the knee.
---
Wow...
Maximos said, clicking his pocket watch shut, and slipping it back into his pocket.
You are...
He just shook his head, at a loss for works.
...your a mess.
Maximos wore a gray pinstripe vest, with a black dress shirt beneath it, its sleeves rolled up, black dress slacks, socks, and shoes. And two gloves, a full glove on his right hand, and matching black leather yet fingerless glove on his left.
Sticking out behind him, was the sheath, and hilt of what seemed to be a shortblade, its actual blade about a foot long. He reached his right hand out, and there was an audible snap as a yet black long sword seemed to soar up from his shadow into his hand. It seemed to be formed of a single piece of obsidian. And as he spun it, its blade carved a swath of black in the air.
...I think its time for a clean up.
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Posted: Wed Jul 16, 2008 9:28 am
(( I take it you are seperating your posts with the dashes to avoid confusion? If so....))
A man's voice? The herm stopped his kicking spree for the time being to find the origin of the sound. He turned around and saw a man in a wierdo outfit. Assuming that he was part of the Cryin' Cleaver Poll Peever Clan that make use of the Kage Bullshit jutsu, he had a response. This response was words and a charge.
"So get your mom to mop the floor on aisle 2.....in your pants."
Maximos' statement that Dorkuto was a mess was the understatement of the year. As for the charge, it wasn't really a charge per say. Just walking fast towards Maximos, scythe held in both hands parallel to ground at bellybutton level, blade on Maximos' left side in a directional-sense pointing downward.
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