nightcure | airlocked cmo post

[ Weird doesn't even begin to describe it. There's a sense of co-existing that Noctis can deal with, but that doesn't mean he doesn't feel utterly bizarre about it.

.... Anyway. The question brings a little bit of surprise, but honestly? He could use it. ]

Depends. Do I still get a free punch even if I punch you during sparring?

I would say that hardly counts toward your free shot, myself. [A shrug.] It wouldn't be the first time someone punched me in the middle of a swordfight.

...In a related subject, watch out if you spar with Xander. He fights as unfairly as I do.

Thanks for the warning. Honestly? Wouldn't have guessed that.

[ He puts his hands on his hips. ]

So, where should we do this?

Yes, and neither did I until we were in a fistfight on the front lawn.

[you missed some shit, noct]

Which should be fine for a location; no one's going to think we're trying to kill each other if they happen to notice.

[ don't worry he'll probably see more shit ]

Sounds like a plan.

[ awayyyyyyy ]

[AWAAAAAAAYYYYY]

[Ardyn took a pair of wooden practice swords from the Armiger, lightly tossing one to Noctis as he spun the other in his hand as if testing the its balance; they were about the size of the average one-handed sword, if a little lighter by virtue of not being metal or having a literal damn engine attached to them.]

[His stance was as cavalier as it had ever been, arms loose at his side and visibly leaving himself wide open to any potential attack--it was either confidence, a lack of caring about defense, or both.]

I'll not start warping around, naturally. There would be little point in practice were it not kept on equal footing.

['The once helpless and hapless prince-']

[Nope. No, he was absolutely not dealing with that today.]

Shall we?

Edited (punctuation) 2017-09-28 02:34 (UTC)

[ He catches the sword easily and takes a few practice swings. Yeah, definitely lighter than any of the royal arms, and about the same weight as his laser cutlass. ]

Appreciate it. [ He takes his own stance, watching Ardyn. ] Ready when you are.

If you insist.

[While Ardyn and Gladiolus Amicitia had at most an inch or two of height difference between them, it was like comparing an imperial battle mech to an airship. Both had their own array of weaponry but the former was, above all else, faster.]

[Even without warping, Ardyn was quicker on his feet than he looked; the distance between them was closed almost immediately, sword brought sharply in from the left in a harsh swing with nothing held back. Noctis wasn't Xander; they more than likely knew each other's combat styles as well as they knew their own and for obvious reasons. So there was no need to gauge strength or determine reaction time, simply test if either had changed in the slightest since Insomnia.]

[ It's... familiar, weirdly enough. Their fight had been so long ago, and it had only been that once. That one time, and he'd learned a hell of a lot about Ardyn through his fighting style. Just as Ardyn likely learned quite a bit about Noctis from his own. His reaction is a little delayed--

(he's out of practice, of course; how long has it been since he had a sword in his hand that wasn't made of light and heat?)

--but he hasn't forgotten. Noctis blocks, then goes in to push Ardyn back, to give himself a little breathing room. ]

[They were to a point both out of practice. Even if his open stance and reckless style was exactly the same as ever, Ardyn was far more human in his motions and reaction time. He actually bothered to guard himself now, knowing he couldn't exactly regenerate from even something as comparatively minor as a strike from a blade.]

[He backed off when Noctis countered, sword held loosely in his hand and waiting for a follow-up.]

You've slowed down.

[ He jumps back a small distance, and Noctis rolls his shoulders. Ardyn's right--he's slowed down, and it's pretty frustrating. Still... that's what this is for, right? Getting back into form. ]

You really that surprised?

Not at all. I only thought it worth pointing out for your own benefit.

[He twirled the sword easily, falling back into something vaguely resembling an actual stance.]

Shall we try again?

airlocked cmo post

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