[Flashback] Swift as the Coursing River (Solo)

[Talya]

OOCThis thread starts in one place, then moves to another. It is being posted in the second location. Timestamp: Fall 30, 512 AV Tal found herself to be alone again, atop the roof of her apartment building, and those that were conjoined to it. The air was largely still, and seemed heavy despite the season, although it blew from time to time, stirring the dark black hair she had left down. It tickled the bare skin around her shoulders, as she stared out into the openness above the rooftops, toward the horizon of the taller, often domed buildings that rested in the distance. She breathed deeply, in through her nose, and out through her mouth, cleansing her soul as much as she could as her hand closed around the hilt of her dagger, and she unsheathed it, before pulling it out and into the open. She closed her eyes a moment, and breathed deeply again, before opening her eyes and preparing herself for the commencement of her training session. She extended her right arm, which held the blade, before her. She tilted the metal upward, so the point faced the sky, while she ran her free hand reverently over the metal as she sank into her starting position. Right foot ahead of the left, right pointed ahead, left to the left, a ninety degree angle. Legs bent at their centers, so that she was crouched. Left dropping from the blade, to be tucked safely behind her back, while the right arm cocked itself, and was held just before the chest. Her body was tilted to the side, presenting less of a target as she slid forward and slashed at the air. Talya slid forward again. She drew her blade up and down, as though she were painting a picture with broad strokes. Then she forced the blade down, before sweeping it back up in a diagonal toward the space where one's right shoulder may be. From there, she drew the blade across to the opposite shoulder, before pulling it directly down toward the hip. She then skipped away a few paces, making some room between herself and her imaginary opponent, before she darted forward again and spun around, allowing her arm to swing with her, as she came out of the twirl, she thought she could hear someone clearing their throat. She blinked a few times, and noticed a man standing in the corner of the roof. He had dark brown hair, left long so that it flowed past his shoulders. He had it tied into a ponytail. He had tanned skin, a beak of a nose, and pale green eyes. He wore a dark shirt, and dark blue pants, with a black cloak over it. He had brown suede boots on. Talya blinked a few times, as though she couldn't believe he was there. She sheathed her dagger. "I thought myself alone," she called to him. "You were," the man replied, his voice both low and deep. "For awhile." Talya's brow furrowed. She found something about this man to be unnerving. "And then?" she asked. "I arrived, and saw you here." Talya nodded. "Why did you come?" she asked. "To train, much as yourself, ironically," the stranger replied. "It's often empty, and provides more space than our rooms." "This is true." "But it has not the room for two," the man began, "and it's a shame, as you need the space far more than me- your form is weak. Off." He paused, "in short, it needs a lot of work. I can help you there, if you'd like." Talya's eyes narrowed. "For free of course, as you'd be helping me train as well. Think of it, as a sort of exchange..." "Ok," Talya said. "But as I mentioned before... there isn't enough room here, so we might be better off in the forest. There is a lot of open space in some areas, we can use, and we wouldn't run the risk of driving each other off the roof." "Fine," Talya replied. The man smirked. "Let us go then-" "Talya." "Martin." "We can be there within the hour." Talya nodded. ______________ Talya had made it in about a bell, and found a clearing within the trees. A space of about thirty feet by thirty, a rough circle, ringed by what looked to be evergreens, and perhaps a few oaks and maples. Their leaves largely fallen, if no orange or red in color. At the center was green grass, their tips dried and browning. A few dead plants scattered throughout that, but they weren't recognizable. The air was cool there, but not as much as it would have been if they were out in the open, and the sun failed to break through the trees. But Martin never came. He would have stood on one end, and Talya at the other. She waited, wondering if his boat across the lake was simply a lot slower. Several minutes passed, but no one came, and she grew impatient, she supposed it was not meant to be so, and shrugged, before determining that she would simply practice on her own, while keeping his image in mind- so that it would be like she were studying with someone all along.

[Talya]

Talya narrowed her eyes. "First, lets start with your footwork," the Ethaefal imagined him saying, as each competitor reached for their blades. Talya's fingers entwining the wire hilt as she stepped forward a few paces, closing some of the distance that had once rested between them. She imagined that Martin did the same, a glint in his eyes as Tal sank into her starting position and waited, wondering what was to come and if she had made a bad decision by coming out here, alone. After all, if she stayed out to late, she could be attacked by all sorts of things- like wolves and bears, and other hungry or angry animals. And if she stayed to late, she could miss the boat, and be stuck for the night, which was never good. Talya took a deep breath, and sank deeper into her pose, at which point she imagined that Martin flashed a most curious smile before darting forward. Unlike she, he held the blade forward as one might a sword, and once within striking distance, jabbed at her with it, at the center by her chest. Tal took a half step back, and then raised her blade a little higher to block. She imagined that she heard the ring of steel, as he pulled the blade lazily away, and then jabbed at her shoulder. This time, Talya knocked the weapon away with her own, before darting forward into the opening she had made, and swinging her arm in, to rake her own blade against the man's chest. He smirked as he danced away, and then moved around her side, and slapped her shoulder with the flat of his blade before jumping away before Talya had the chance to retaliate. Talya grit her teeth. She imagined Martin's smirk. "You have to be faster than that," she imagined him taunting, as Talya shot forward, and swung her arm up and down. Trying to cut across him, but again, the memory of Martin easily deflected with his own weapon, as she wound around him, trying to slice into his back as she brought her arm back around. Perhaps he had perceived this early on, or perhaps he had this move in his repertoire, if not something similar, because as she came out of her turn, Talya found his image to be smirking at her as he held up his blade and protected his back, before swiping at her after having knocked her weapon away. Talya simply danced away from this, while keeping her dagger in front of her chest for protection.

[Talya]

Talya imagined that Martin had chased her. The image she held of him in her mind waved his blade rapidly around before her. Left uppercut, right, down to the hip. Over to the other hip; a strike meant for the neck, a jab, and then something to break through it and spill blood. Talya raised her blade to meet each, the left, the right, to the hip, deflecting as she slid over, raising it under and pushing his blade over his head when he went for the neck. Into the opening she ran, charging with her right shoulder in the lead, she barreled into him, knocking the broad man back a few paces. With the opening she had created, Talya slashed at the man's chest, she thought she heard some fabric tear before he managed to right himself and deflect her blade with another obnoxiously loud clang. Martin smirked again, as he stabbed at her chest, and Talya deflected. Then she moved forward, and swung at his empty hand. She thought a little bit of blood spurt from the knuckles, and he gasped as they whitened, and he began to retreat. But Talya pressed, surging forward furiously. She began to wind her arm forward and back in arching diagonals. From left to right over and over, but each time, she was deflected. She grit her teeth in frustration as she charged forward, but was met with a surprising sweep of Martin's weapon that cut across the space by her nose. She ducked narrowly to avoid this, and while she was in her crouch, slapped his thighs with the flat of her blade, before surging upward, and smacking his hip as well, after his weapon had sailed safely past. Now righted, Talya darted backward to avoid any counter attacks, and resumed her starting position. This time the image of Martin made no move for her, and assumed a position similar to her own. They stood awhile, staring each other down, wondering who would be the next to make their move. When Talya realized that Martin must be waiting for her, she shuffled a few steps forward. Studied his position a moment, then moved forward again. She jogged up to him, pulling her right arm out to her side as she did so, before pushing it back in, in a wide arc. The blade spun out, away from her arm, and moved across the area where the man's shoulder's were. His image blocked the attack easily as Talya moved her arm back in the opposite direction, tracing over her steps. This, Martin couldn't deflect, and again, Talya tore lightly into his attire. She could hear it ripping rather clearly, as though it were really happening, as she moved a step back, and then forward again, jabbing at his shoulder with her blade. This he deflected, just as he did her subsequent attack, which was another series of jabbing strikes to other portions of his body- chest, opposite shoulder, neck, hips. Realizing that such a simple tactic wouldn't work on him, although he seemed to be tiring just as much as she, as her heart beat faster and faster, and sweat appeared on her brow despite the cool air, Talya decided to try something else to end the fight, and sailed away.

[Talya]

Talya studied her opponent. The image she had painted within her mind's eye seemed to be tiring, but he still didn't seem to be leaving much open for her to exploit, save for his back, but this, she supposed, he could guard with a turn, or a side step or something easily enough. So maybe she should try something else. She decided to move forward again. When the memory of Martin raised his arm to strike her, Talya deflected with her blade, before turning and reaching under his arm with her unadorned one. She wrapped her fingers around his forearm, and did her best to brace it in place, although both their limbs trembled as she brought her blade-baring hand over and up, and slapped his arm and shoulder with the flatter bit. She thought she could see him grit his teeth as she moved the weapon away, and playfully, slapped him across the face with the flat as well, before he jerked his arm wildly and brought it down on her left shoulder. She seethed in pain, as much as he seemed to as they danced away from each other. They narrowed their eyes at one another before coming together again. Their blades meeting in the middle, between their bodies. Left, and right. Over and under, they clashed into each other again and again. They backed away from each other as the blades hissed against each other, one last time, in a space between their chests. A breath seemed to pass, a moment to catch oneself, before each party surged inward again. Their blades clashed over their heads, before Martin's image pushed Talya back with his free arm. Instinctively, she let her blade fall to guard her chest as he struck out at her again. She had guessed wrong, and he slapped her side with the flat of his blade before sailing away, letting her come forward. When she was within striking distance, she parried his blade as he rose to block her, and swept out as his shoulder, pricking him with the tip before he deflected. Talya then spun around him and slapped his back before kicking him forward, and pouncing. Slapping him repeatedly with her blade before he held his hand up to halt the battle, forcing her to back away as he straightened himself out and turned to face her. He sheathed his blade, and she did the same. "Not bad," she thought he would comment, his eyes alighting as he stroked his chin. "Now I know you, your limitations, and your strengths, and know not to be as light with you tomorrow, when we train for real." Talya gasped for air. So did his image. Talya nodded. "Same time tomorrow?" his image inquired. She nodded again. "See you then," she added as the image turned away, and she began to make her way back to the city of Ravok, while he vanished entirely.

[Dravite]

Talya

XP Award:

• Dancing: 1
• Observation: 1
• Detection: 1
• Meditation: 1
• Acrobatics: 2
• Running: 1
• Bodybuilding: 3
• Endurance: 2

Lore:

• Parry: Making your body small
• Dagger: Should be practiced in an open area
• Unarmed Combat: Knowing where to put your feet
• Dagger: Basic counter attacks

Penalties:
Hallucinations - Martin

Notes:
I cannot award dagger skills for the following reasons:

1. No target
2. Skill points higher than 10

This was a very interesting thread; I didn't recognise that Talya had any kind of disorder in previous threads I've graded for you. Looking forward to how you play that one out. I suggest interacting with an NPC, PC, or medium range animal attack for improving dagger skills (perhaps a fox attack?). If you have any questions or concerns feel free to contact me via PM, and make sure you edit your grading request!

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