[ Meanwhile, Alci's been working Istvan since sun-up, so he's flagging. Right now, they're in the middle of sparring! Sidesession Start! ] * Istvan is dressed in a tight black t-shirt and loose black cotton pants, as well as a number of nice black and blue bruises. He's sweating profusely, and currently on the defensive as he tries to block strikes from Alci with a training war pick and heavy arms. He's holding up pretty well, considering how hard Alci's worked him, but he's obviously slowing down a bit. * Alcinoe is wearing light, loose clothes. She's bruised, and she might be tired, and she's definitely sweaty. But that certainly isn't stopping *her*, as she 'slices' at Istvan over and over again with her weighted, padded training sword. A wooden shield's held by her offhand. * Istvan narrows his eyes as he's pushed back on the defensive. War picks weren't really built for defense, but he's doing a pretty good job of blocking with the 'metal' top of the pick or hook, taking only a few glancing blows here'n there while he waits for Alci to overextend herself a bit. * Istvan finally gets tired of this 'on the defensive' crap, and after blocking a swing, reaches out with the pick end of his weapon and tries to hook the outside edge of Alci's shield and yank back to pull Alci off balance. * Alcinoe gets her shield hooked! She's pulled, taking that extra step forward. * Istvan disengages his pick, spins, and whacks Alci in the small of the back. * Istvan then backs off, grinning. "Still got a bit of fight left in me." * Alcinoe takes it and stumbles forward, then she moves, slamming her sword into Istvan's side and leg. She was hurt, yes, but it doesn't seem to slow her down much at all. "Sure ya find that surprisin'." *winces* Not really. Like I toldja, workin' at the forge is great for endurance. *steps into Alci's personal space with a diagonal strike at her sword side* * Alcinoe brings her shield up to block. "Yer gettin' slower. Ain't good." She counters with a forward slash for his midsection. * Istvan brings his pick down to deflect the strike, shifts his weight, and brings his pick up towards Alci's midsection. "A little, yeah. But so're you." * HKenji looks down on the two, watching intently from above. * Alcinoe smirks. "As Kardos would say, mah faith keeps me goin'. You got any such thing, Istvan?" Something seems to change in her stance. Stubbornness, mostly. I'm kinda dwarflike that way. Stubborn ain't the same as bein' determined. I stay standin' 'cause I won't admit that I'm supposed to fall down. *nods* True. It helps, though. * Alcinoe practically springs forward, now full of energy, faster, and attacking twice as viciously as before. "Then why'd ya fall?" she asks as she slices for his shoulder, followed by another two or three attacks. "It ain't 'cause you're *weak*, is it, Istvan?" * Istvan backs off, taking the first shot on the shoulder, then backpedding and warding off the followups. "When'd I fall? And what's with the magic?" * Alcinoe keeps it up. "How'm Ah s'posed ta push ya if Ah go easy?" Her blows hurt more, now. Definitely. "This is what ya wanted, isn't it?" * Istvan winces as another shot gets through, this one to his leg. "Point. Still didn't answer my first question." *keeps falling back, trying to get used to the faster, stronger blows coming from Alci* * Alcinoe smiles, a vague sort of smile that doesn't really look like one at all. "Every time ya gave in." She slices for his arm. "Ya fell." Another, for his chest. "Tryin' ta decide..." Again. "If yer gonna fall now." * Istvan blocks the first two, then narrows his eyes and takes the third on the ribs as he charges in with a flurry of blows of his own, followed by an attempt to hook Alci's leg with his pick and trip her. * Alcinoe blocks the first strike with her shield, then the second, and the third gets through with a solid blow to her side. She winces slightly, but she manages to step away from the trip attempt. * Istvan keeps up the attack, trying to keep Alci from regaining the offensive. "I said I'm stubbron. Not invincible." *throws another three blows, high, low, and middle* * Alcinoe blocks the high one and just takes the other two, but she follows his extension to trade blows right back. "Difference between bein' invincible and lettin' yerself fall." * Istvan blocks the first, takes the second in the shoulder, and slides to the side to avoid the third. "Was weaker back then." *springs forward, trying to use his greater mass to ram Alci off balance* * Alcinoe takes it in the shield! She stumbles backwards, then to the side and lets Istvan's momentum potentially carry him while she slams her sword into his back. "How long ago's 'back then'? A couple days ago? Yesterday?" * Istvan keeps moving, so the blow to the back lands only glancingly, and turns. "Not goin' along with you immediately ain't fallin'. You presented yer case pretty crappily down in my forge." Maybe we should have Kardos give you some intensive social skills trainin'? *smirks; falls into a defensive stance* * Istvan rolls his shoulders as he waits for Alci to advance, trying to get the blood flowing back to them after all the abuse they've taken. * Alcinoe moves her sword aside. "No. Ya have fallen many times before. An' Ah don't have the luxury of bein' Kardos." She dashes forward, going on the offensive again. "Jus' like *he* don't get to say the things Ah can." * Alcinoe attacks, quickly and brutally. "Ah'd rather ya hate me than not grow." * Istvan falls back as Alci advances, doing a bit better at blocking her blows, but letting one whack him HARD right on the elbow. He grits his teeth. "Bullshit. I hold up my weight in this party, no matter what you say." Not as ya've been. * Alcinoe attacks twice high, then once low, for his legs. "Or maybe as ya *are*. Do people change overnight?" * Istvan gets clipped in the ear by the first, blocks the second, and hops over the third before counterattacks with a couple of overhand blows to hopefully catch Alci leaning down. "Nope. But obviously you think I have farther to go than I do." * HKenji speaks up to make himself heard from the roof. "No... she thinks you have farther to go than you think you do." * Alcinoe gets away from the first, then blocks the second counter. She looks up to Kenji. * Istvan scowls at the sound of Kenji's voice, and surges forward with renewed energy as Alci glances upwards with a vicious hail of blows. "That's what I said, backstabber!" * Alcinoe didn't actually drop her guard, and she defends, but a number of blows make their way through, bruising her, before she counters with her own. "Ya do, Istvan. Fer what you want, you've got farther ta go than you probly thought possible." * Istvan blocks two blows, but then takes a stab right to the armpit, and stumbles back a step. * Alcinoe keeps pressing, attacking high, then mid range. "An' Ah'm wondering, Istvan, if ya want it *enough*." * Istvan tries to get feeling back in his arm as he backpedels, blocking the high shot but not quite getting to the lower one in time, taking close to the full brunt on his hip. * Alcinoe doesn't let him get his footing back. She slashes for his unfeeling arm again, then his chest and his shoulder. She's breathing heavily, and she looks about as determined as he's ever seen her, which might be strange for a training session. * Istvan takes the shot on his arm, wincing hard, but steps out of the way of the chest slash, knocks aside the shoulder slash to the side, feints high, then tries again to hook Alci's leg and take her down. * Alcinoe parries the feint and, again, steps away. "'Cause this *is* what ya want, isn't it?" She, again, uses Istvan's extension. This time to bring her sword down to his head. * Istvan tries to bring his pick up, but his arm isn't cooperating fast enough, and he gets whacked right on top of the head. Fortunately, he has a thick skull, but... "And I just got my head cut in two." Nice swing. Thanks, but this ain't for me. Yer slowin'. * Alcinoe steps away and lets Istvan get his bearings. He shouldn't get used to it, really. Well, yeah. I'm only human. *rubs head* * Istvan rolls his sagging arm, trying again to get the blood flowing. "You worked this arm over pretty good." * Alcinoe snorts. "No, you ain't only human. Not yer excuse. Not anymore." If all ya are is human, Ah don't want ya comin' with us. Okay, I'm a dwarf. *squats* * Alcinoe smirks. "None of that." She brings her sword to one side. "Yer an adventurer. Yer gonna save this land. Ya decide ya are, or ya get out. Which'll it be?" * Istvan stands back up, and raises an eyebrow. "I'm a human adventurer, not a machine. I get tired. I keep going, but I get tired. I keep going even after I'm too tired to get going, but I still get tired eventually." Goal is to make 'eventually' further'n further away. If I didn't want it, I'dve quit after the half hour of wind sprints. * Istvan looks down at himself, and smirks. "'cause I ain't built for wind sprints." You ain't tired 'till ya decide yer tired, or Ah decide yer tired. Are ya tired? Ignorin' that you're tired is just stupid. You realize it, you adapt to it, and you deal with it. Strongest mind can't keep the body goin' forever. * Alcinoe glares at Istvan. "Are ya tired?" I'm a bit tired, yeah. But I'm dealin'. I ain't as fast as I was when we began, and you're faster. So I gotta adapt. Fight smarter. Pick my spots. Don't waste energy. * Alcinoe nods. She sets herself, then she dashes forward into yet another flurry of attacks. * Alcinoe stops before she actually reaches Istvan. Her attention snaps to Kenji. Rest for a moment. * HKenji steps off the railing atop FC Hall. * Istvan resists the temptation to attack while Alci's distracted. He's annoyed at her, but he's not gonna fight dirty in a spar. * Alcinoe lets out a breath. But she looks back to Istvan, then gives him a short nod and moves aside. * HKenji lands in a low crouch and springs back to his full, if rather short, height. * Istvan rests his training pick on his shoulder, and eyes Kenji. * HKenji walks over towards Istvan and Alcinoe and holds out his hand. "Your sword, Alcinoe?" * Alcinoe shifts her grip so she's holding the blade, then hands the sword by its hilt to Kenji. (It's weighted, as a warning. You're talking over ten pounds of sword.) * HKenji takes hold of the hilt and weighs the sword. "Heavier than I expected." Shouldn't you find a training stilletto or something, Kenji? Seems more like your type of weapon. * Alcinoe nods. "Sixteen pounds, like mine. Had ta get one made like that." * HKenji nods to Alcinoe. "I thank you for the loan, then." * Alcinoe gives him a half smile, then goes to stand where her armor and actual sword and shield are. * HKenji turns to face Istvan and puts his left hand behind his back, holding the longsword extended towards Istvan in guard position. Gonna try attacking me from the front this time? I would stab you in the back again, but you are too easy a target. Do you have the courage to fight this time, or will you invite me to kill you with a training blade? * Istvan snorts. "Only you would take an amazing desplay of patience and restraint in not physically assaulting a partymate as a lack of courage." * Istvan drops into a ready stance. "But what the heck. I've just spent the last half hour getting beat on by a divinely powered Alci. Be refreshing to get beat on by someone different." * HKenji smirks arrogantly. "I have no intention whatsoever of beating on you. But come, and do your best anyway." * Istvan shrugs, and charges with three diagonal strikes from different angles. * HKenji does a strange shuffle as he retreats only slightly, deflecting each strike just barely past his body with the weighted blade. You lack focus. Come, try again. * Istvan presses his attack, swinging high, low, high again, feinting low, then jabbing for Kenji's midsection. * HKenji shuffles back out of reach of the inital swings, then lets the full weight of the sword come down on the pick as Istvan thrusts, pushing it down nearly to the ground. He pulls the sword up from its position on the pick at the last moment, letting the point flick just past Istvan's face. A little better, yes, but your feinting technique needs work. Tell me, Istvan, what is on your mind right now? * Istvan brings his elbow up to knock away the blade from his face, then keeps on the attack, going for a couple of strikes to the ribs before spinning, going high horizontally, then coming down with an overhand blow. * Istvan talks as he attacks. "Actually, m'trying to tune you out and time your blocks... obviously ain't workin' yet." * HKenji lets the blade spin with the knock from Istvan's elbow, neatly knocking the rib strikes away as it spins. When Istvan turns around for the overhead strike, he is simply no longer there. His voice comes from behind Istvan. "Turning your back to your opponent is a dangerous thing, don't you think?" * Alcinoe works on keeping her hair from becoming a mess of tangles as she watches. And she's watching very closely. * Istvan sping back to Kenji with a swing, but that's merely a distraction as he tries a kick to the kneecap once Kenji moves to block the high swing. * HKenji steps neatly out of range of the feint and slams his blade down on Istvan's leg as he sticks it out. * Istvan winces as he gets hit in the ankle, but keeps on pressing his attack, pouring on the power to try to knock Kenji's guard aside. * HKenji spins the overweight sword like a madman, letting its weight do the work of pushing aside Istvan's blows so his own strength doesn't have to. * Istvan narrows his eyes, and thrusts at the center of the spinning, trying to hit Kenji's knuckles. * HKenji lets his sword hand fall and for the first time brings his other hand out from behind his back to brace the blade as it takes the full impact of Istvan's thrust. Much better. Now you're thinking. You need to do more of that! * Istvan ignores Kenji, both figuratively and literally, and aims for his weapon, forgetting about actually attacking Kenji for the moment in favor of attacking his guard, trying to create an opening for himself. * HKenji bends like a reed, his sword going down at his side as Istvan strikes wildly. "That might work for Alcinoe, but you aren't Alcinoe." * Istvan brings his pick down, trying to use the curved length to trap Kenji's blade against his body, to leave him open for an elbow to the face. * HKenji is almost trapped by that little trick, but solves his dilemma by flipping his entire body over the pick as it travels across where he used to be, planting his off hand on the ground and cartwheeling back to his feet and on guard. * Istvan reacts as soon as Kenji starts his flip, bringing his pick back up and attacking fast from several different angles to try'n catch him before he gets his balance back. * HKenji is still spinning when the first attack flies just past his face, and he jerks his leg down to avoid the follow through. A second later, his sword is in position, pushing the second attack away just barely enough to pass his bare abdomen without hitting. If only you would display this focus in all things! * Istvan grits his teeth, and swings again. Once Kenji's blade impacts, though, he forearm muscles strain as he stops his swing to keep the two weapons engaged, and surges forward, just trying to shove and bull rush Kenji back and off balance. * HKenji gives way before Istvan, not off balance, but simply choosing not to hold his ground when it isn't necessary. Tell me, why were you not this focused against Alcinoe? * Istvan tosses off a couple of high swings to keep Kenji's attention while still pressing forward, then reaches out and tries to hook his leg as he backpedels with the curved pick. * HKenji slaps the halfhearted swings aside easily, then trips over the pick and falls on his back. "STOP!" * Istvan is already into his overhand swing, and stops his swing with the 'point' of the pickaxe about three inches from Kenji's heart. * HKenji raises one foot and pushes the pick away, then flips up to his feet. Alcinoe, come here. * Istvan lets the pick come to rest on his shoulder, and eyes Kenji. * Alcinoe raises an eyebrow. She walks over. "Hm?" Alcinoe, what was the difference between my match and yours? Ya mean in Istvan's performance? Yes. * Alcinoe gives a crooked smile. "He was thinkin' in yours." And more importantly, he was focused. * HKenji turns and glares at Istvan. "Now why do you not focus when you are fighting Alcinoe?" * Alcinoe nods. "Ah'd say." She looks to Istvan. * Istvan half-grins. "I only mildly wanted to hit her." So you think she is an unworthy opponent. * Alcinoe lets out a dry chuckle. I don't think of her as an opponent. I think of her as a vaguely friendly person I'm sparrin' against. *eyes Kenji* You, I wanna whack upside the head a few times. If you focused in everything you do the way you focused against me, you could be great. * HKenji flips the blade over and offers it to Alcinoe, hilt first. * Alcinoe takes it. Actually, Ah think he would be. * Alcinoe looks to Istvan. "No could about it." * Istvan grins. "Well then, let's hope the bad guys are as annoying as you are, hmm?" Let's hope you learn a lesson, instead of being stubborn like a Crab. * Istvan grins wider. "You didn't see the lesson I learned? I'm disappointed." I think you learned nothing. I pray that I am wrong. * HKenji turns his back on Istvan and walks away. * Istvan clicks his tongue, and turns to Alci. "He didn't notice. I'd be hurt if I gave a damn about his opinion." * Alcinoe cocks her head. "Then what did ya think ya learned, Istvan?" * HKenji is now known as SleepDebugger * Istvan taps himself on the head. "He slashed me'n the back a coupla days ago. I should be ragin' mad at him. And I am. But instead'a lettin' my emotions make me sloppy, I used 'em to focus." * Istvan idly twirls his war pick. "And I gotta say, I'm mighty mad at that lady in the blue dragon armor." Good. Ya keep doin' it, 'cause now that Ah know about it? Ah expect it out of you. * Istvan rubs his chin. "Well, I guess I'm gonna hafta figure out somethin' to be pissed at you about." *smirks* "Choices, choices..." * Alcinoe takes a step back and smirks, setting herself back into a stance. "Ready?" * Istvan rubs at his back, and drops into a ready stance. "Better question: Are you?" [ And so Alci kicked Istvan's ass some more. Session End! ]