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 Posted: Mon Sep 04, 2006 12:44 am
A lone figure stood among an outcropping of hills, large ears twitching to the wind as it rustled the branches of a tree. Baldasarre looked to the sky and watched as a flock of birds flew past overhead, giving a wry grin their way. It was a beautiful day out, perfect for practicing his swordsmanship.
With slow and stealthy movements, he crouched down and rose his hand to the blade at his side. He was still a novice, but if he kept up with his routine training he could get all that much better at it. Then, when the time came where it really counted, he could be there to change someone's fate. This was perhaps too big of a romantic dream, he knew, but it couldn't hurt to be ready. With fluid-like grace, he whipped out his sword and slashed across the air in front of him, only to knock himself backwards onto his rump. "Ow!" he cried as he landed, growling as the sword flew from his hand to land shortly beside him. He sighed, "I'll never get anywhere at this rate..."
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Posted: Tue Jan 16, 2007 11:14 pm
(( I suck... XD; So sorry Moogzorz... <3 ))
The wind through the trees made Fionnbharr's approach all but silent despite heavy footfalls. He leaned comfortably against the trunk, watching Baldasarre's efforts with interest. It took great strength of character for one to come out alone on such a nice day to practice. He winced a little when the unicorn fell with a cry and was relieved when his sword fell free of his body. He approached then, a broad smile on his face. "Oh I don't know, you were doing well until you fell. Yelling should be done when you attack, if at all, as it helps you focus." He held out a hand to Baldasarre to reach for if he chose to. "I'm Fionnbharr MacCumhaill. I think you show great promise."
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Posted: Thu Jan 18, 2007 10:10 pm
(( 'Tis okay, Melo. But you don't suck! DD: You should know that! *baps head* ))
Baldasarre jumped at the sudden appearance of the bunny, nearly falling on collapsing arms that held him upright. At first he wasn't sure what to make of the odd fellow; he seemed only to want to help him out, but the young unicorn felt his mind wander to studying him before he knew it. He shook his head quickly as he snapped back to reality, attempting to jump upright until he noticed Fionbharr's outstretched hand. With a nervous laugh he grabbed hold, snickering, "Thanks."
He brushed off his clothes absent-mindedly as he mulled over what his new acquaintance had offered as helpful information before raising his head to smile at him. "I think that's a good idea! Thank you for that," he said with a quick bow, trying to be as polite as he possibly could. "My name is Baldasarre; it's my pleasure to make your acquaintance!"
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Posted: Fri Jan 19, 2007 6:35 pm
(( *imitates vacuum cleaner* ...eh? wot? 8D... ))
Finn's ears flopped a little in embarrassment. Sometimes he rushed in to help people before really thinking about it first. He was not so rash as to do so at a crucial moment, but unnerving people was not something he wished to do.
"Fionnbharr MacCumhaill... the pleasure's all mine," he replied as he helped the unicorn to his feet. He stepped back to give the other space as Baldasarre brushed himself off. "I know a thing or two about swordplay... and, sometimes it's much easier to see the mistakes of others than one's own. I couldn't help but offer what I saw," he said with a little smile. "I like your dedication," he added, looking around at the scenery around them. "It takes great dedication to practice on a day like this when one could be relaxing." Turning back to Baldasarre, he smiled warmly.
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Posted: Fri Jan 19, 2007 9:05 pm
(( *plugs up vacuum hole with a ham* You heard me! ))
Baldasarre could see the embarrassment about Finn as his eyes glinted, and the unicorn's only way of soothing this off was to give him a bright smile. No need to be so uneasy about a situation that Baldasarre should've been aware of!
As Fionnbharr went on, explaining about the things he had observed, Baldasarre's eyes lit up. Nobody he had lived with knew anything about practicing with a weapon much so he had to learn it by himself, but some things were passed down through his bloodline. Being separated so young, it was no wonder the pale unicorn was such a novice, but his demeanor shone brighter with the mention that he had great promise. "Please, tell me anything else I should know! I've had nobody here to teach me the important things, only my basic knowledge I've tried to build upon. I'd be honored... if you could do that for me," he almost pleaded, overjoyed that someone else knew something they may share with him.
A little nervous over his own reaction, Baldasarre laughed, sheepishly grinning to Finn. "Sorry about that. I guess I got carried away. It's just that... it's been so long since I was able to converse with someone about my passion. Your compliments mean a lot to me, but I'm rather quite boring when it comes to my everyday life. Swordplay is basically all I'm good for," he laughed again, rubbing his head. He wasn't as one-dimensional as he made himself out to be, but sometimes he felt that he was.
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Posted: Tue Jun 19, 2007 2:54 am
(( And here the saying, "You are what you eat," comes to mind. o: ))
Finn's eyes widened for an instant. If he understood the unicorn correctly, he wanted a teacher. "Well, I suppose..." he began doubtfully, mind racing to the task. The question was, did he want long-term teaching, or just a few pointers? He scratched his temple thoughtfully.
"Now, now," the kilted bunny said, "no apologies needed." He was quite unsure of all this - how it would work out in the future - but the least he could do was help. He knew he had nothing better (or worse) to do today, and more than anything, this could be most enjoyable.
He waved the "boring" statement off, out of mind. "I don't know about all that, but swordplay is definitely not boring. I'm sure you know that," he chuckled, smiling warmly. "And what you've taught yourself so far looks really good. You have a nice swing... but your balance is a little bit off. Try to stand like this," the bunny began, demonstrating while taking hold of an imaginary sword. He could practically feel the cold grip and the weight of the blade. It was the best way to teach, when one had no sword. "You want to be well-balanced in your stance and when you move. And when you swing, like this," he demonstrated again, moving slowly so that Baldasarre could see completely, "you want to take a step forward. See how the two movements are synchronized, so that it is one fluid sweep. Notice how the arms and shoulders move while I swing; it gives the stroke extra power and control, so that when you strike the target, you don't fly...er lose your balance."
Standing up and relaxing he grinned at Baldasarre. "Now you try it. Don't worry about looking foolish. You should never worry about that... just keep trying until you find your body's natural rhythm. Everything moving fluidly and...almost automatic."
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Posted: Wed Jun 20, 2007 10:38 pm
(( Oh, reeeally? Is Melo a ham? A Melo-ham? 8B I like ham. I like to eat ham. I also like to state the obvious. xd ))
Baldasarre watched as Finn grew unresponsive for a moment, seeing he was mildly confused. But what of? The unicorn couldn't recall what could be confusing him so, though he never had been exactly in tune with such things. He was a little worried that something may have been taken the wrong way, but he was unsure if he should say anything. If he needed clarification, he'd ask, right?
Though the bunny had gone on with teaching him anyway, and Sarre's grin reappeared across his face. "Oh, I didn't mean it was boring! It's just... that that's my hobby, and if people don't share it... I guess what I'm trying to say is that people think I'm obsessed. More that I'm boring rather than the swordplay aspect," he tried to explain, a slight blush on his face. Explanation obviously wasn't his strong point.
But he was eager to receive the pointers, and studied Finn's stance and movements as he explained. When it was time for him to try, he had done so with equal eagerness, almost as if he believed he couldn't mess it up. He stood his ground, copying the stance Finn showed him carefully. It took him a little longer, as he tried to get everything precise, sliding his hooves a little to get the right distance between them as he rested a hand on the hilt of the sword, ready. When he was sure he had the stance right, he crouched slightly with his eyes ahead, as if on an attacker. He was focused, that much was visible, and with a quiet exhale he gripped the sword and whipped it out with a trial, "Ha!" He teetered slightly, still a bit off-balance, but didn't fall over. His swing seemed to be more forceful than was necessary, more of an attack than the defensive strike he meant it to be. He remained still for a moment, almost afraid he would fall over if he wasn't careful before relaxing his shoulders and standing straight up.
He grinned sheepishly as he turned back to Fionnbharr, a little embarrassed he couldn't do it even though the bunny's teaching was so... straightforward and easy to understand. He knew it was unlikely he could nail it on the first try, but he was hopeful. "Guess I still need a little practice, but I'm sure I almost got it!" he laughed, pleased with the outcome. It was just a single move, but he had been practicing it for months now to get it perfected, and he was finally almost there! "Thank you so much for this; it really means a lot to me!" he said again; he always hoped that if someone really needed him he could be there for them, and protect them from anything. He had a good heart, but he was too much of a daydreamer to realize that this outcome was unlikely to happen. Still... he could always dream!
He pulled the sword in to sheathe it, realizing that it had still been out. The sun glinted off of it, making Baldasarre reel back from the bright light as he pulled it into its case. It was rather blunt and couldn't very well cut much of anything, but if one was hit with it it could leave a nasty bruise, especially with the strength he put behind his swings!
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