(no subject)

[swords-love-me.livejournal.com]

Date: September 28th, 2000
Status: Public
Setting: Manor Grounds
Summary: War holds a practice session

It was shortly after lunch when War strode out into the grounds, a duffel bag slung over each shoulder. She hadn't eaten much, partly out of a reluctance to fill her stomach before fighting, partly out of a rather odd feeling that she would have assumed was nerves, were she not War and therefore not someone who got nervous. Truth be told, she wasn't really sure what she was planning to do - she'd never run an organised practice session before - at least, not one like she suspected this would be.

Still, she was limbered up, and she'd brought weapons along with her - mostly padded practice weapons. Now all she needed was some of the Manor guests to turn up...

Comments

[theban-sphinx.livejournal.com]

As a rule, the sphinx didn’t read announcements. They weren’t of any interest to her. She did what she pleased, when she pleased and where she pleased, and while a being more powerful than her could make her change the way she behaved, she was hardly going to obey the commands of a piece of paper. And even if she had been aware of the practise session, she might not have attended. In fact, she might even have avoided going outside altogether. After all, you could never trust people not to be police officers in disguise.

As it was, though, Sphix was in the Manor garden. She rested her back against a tree trunk and allowed her mind to wander. Then the voices of several people talking broke her out of her reverie, and she stood, picking stems of grass and bits of tree bark from her clothes. She found herself curious and took a few steps towards the commotion. Who knew, the people might even be talking about her.

When she was closer she halted for a moment, searching for familiar faces. One of the women she had seen before, and the other… The sphinx was pretty sure she was an Egyptian goddess. Sphix had been through Egypt numerous times on her travels, and being able to recognize a local never hurt.

With the people somewhat sorted out, Sphix strode across the remaining distance to the group.

“So”, she said, addressing the woman she knew. “Aren’t you one of the redheads from the lunch a few days back. Scheming something?”

[swords-love-me.livejournal.com]

War squinted at her. "You were the one at lunch the other day? The one with" with the bones, she was about to say, before realising it might not be the best idea - "with the rare steak?"

Knowing the answer to the question already, she carried on, "Not scheming. Just holding a practice and training fighting session for those as want it. You going to join us?" she asked, the angle of her head and the hand on her hip an unspoken challenge.

[theban-sphinx.livejournal.com]

The sphinx caught the challenge and allowed a smile curl her lips. “Join you? Perhaps I will. I’m all for games.” She enjoyed challenges, but she had only managed to stay alive as long as she had by picking her fights. Practise and training wouldn’t be lethal, though, would it? Sphix tried to remember when she had last fought just for the thrill of it. She could recall all those little rivalry matches with her brother, but after that… surely she had played after that?

Sphix shook her head a little and nodded at the woman. “So, since this is your game… What are the rules?”

[swords-love-me.livejournal.com]

The corner of War's mouth quirked in a smile. It was times like this when lightning instincts came in handy.

"Alright, then," she said, looking round at the others. If they didn't choose to listen, that was their problem. "First rule - you do what I say. No getting creative, that's not what this is for - it's training, not a free style fist fight. Second rule - play safe. It's technique, today, not trying to injure each other, and I don't want Adam appearing out here to cart any of you off the the hospital wing."

Or chuck me out the Manor, she thought, grimly, to herself.

"So. Pair up, then - we'll split up the women and the men for now, two sets of two. And what I want you to do is..."

She attacked the air violently with a swift series of punches and blows.

"All clear?"

[classic-palm.livejournal.com]

Shadow got most of it the first time, but missed the exact position on one or two moves in the middle.

"Can you give us that again?" he asked, at the same time sparing a glance at his proclaimed partner, a blond man, strong-looking, and with an air of something more about him.

[swords-love-me.livejournal.com]

War rubbed her nose. "Yeah... that was probably a bit quick. Mic, can you come here a sec? It might come across clearer if I'm not just pummelling the air. Standard block sequence, ok?"

I hope I understood right... XD

[demon-mictain.livejournal.com]

"I get to be your bloody demonstration prop? Fuck, thanks, Ruby. I fucking appreciate this." With a smirk, Mictain walked closer, stopping some way away from War. Although his position did not visibly change much, he prepared himself to block War's blows and punches when she would start the sequence again.

Re: I hope I understood right... XD (You did :-) )

[swords-love-me.livejournal.com]

"Well, I know I know exactly what you're doing," War said, with a quirk of her eyebrow. "Besides, in a moment, you'll be taking turns with Shadow... maybe if you're worried about blocking my girly punches you should think about some remedial training?" she teased, though there was nothing girlish about her tone, nor in her stance as she launched into the sequence of punches and blows that brought her up close to the demon. She found herself having to concentrate harder this time - the solo practice blows into the air were second nature, but she knew the demon's instincts and reactions were at least as good as her own.

Re: I hope I understood right... XD (You did :-) )

[demon-mictain.livejournal.com]

"My dear Ruby, if I couldn't block a few girly blows, I would have never bloody lived this long." Of course, he neglected to mention the fact that he had indeed been unable to block the blows of quite a many angels, which had led to him almost not surviving. And, fortunately, returning to the Manor. There was absolutely no reason for War -- or anybody else, really -- to know that.

He blocked all the blows with seemingly very little effort, although he had to work harder than he'd ever had to while practicing with other angels back in Heaven. After all, War was definitely a warrior of her very own class even when she was "only" training. A couple of times he was almost tempted to try a blow back at her, but that wouldn't do. Athough she doubtlessly would be able to block them, that might encourage her "students" into indeed turning the training into a fistfight. And besides, her game, her rules.

That, however, didn't keep him from smirking. "Is it just me, or are you quite slow today?"

Re: I hope I understood right... XD (You did :-) )

[swords-love-me.livejournal.com]

"But of course - I'm sure you've had plenty of practice defending yourself." It was a low jibe, as she knew full well he'd been out on the attack several times, but she could never resist the opportunity to rub in the fact that she got to go fight where she wanted, with whomever she wanted. She tended to get a little restless if she got cooped up with one lot of people who were all the same for too long. Fortunately, the inhabitants of the Manor were hardly homogeneous.

With a michievous glint in her eyes as she glanced at him, she turned to the others and said, "I'll run through it again now - at full speed - so you can see how it all fits together properly before I let you loose doing it." Her emphasis was slight, but War never did things like that by accident.

[theban-sphinx.livejournal.com]

The sphinx gave another sharp nod, watching carefully. The fluid movements of the redhead and the man - Ruby and Mic, as they had been addressed - were certainly a feast to the eye, and yet Sphix still found herself wishing for more. This manner of combat, as beautiful as it was, was still a bit too direct for her taste. Smaller than her brother - her only practise opponent in the early days - and much more vulnerable, she had learned to win by guile and by taking advantage of her surroundings. And while human fists could certainly cause damage, surely paws and talons were much more formidable weapons.

Overall, sphinx found herself a bit perplexed by this game. If no one got hurt, what was the fun? If the stakes weren’t high, why play?

Still, a game it was, and backing out now was out of the question. Thus, the sphinx watched, learning what she could.

[first-catwoman.livejournal.com]

Bast had been listening carefully to the redhead's - Ruby's? - intructions, and drifting off slightly, remembering a time when she'd been almost nothing but the light on a spear and claws in the night. She regained focus as another being came up to the group, and spoke to Ruby.

This one was...familiar, in an odd way - almost like a cat, maybe a lion, but not quite...she walked up to the being and put her head on one side. "Sphynx?"

[theban-sphinx.livejournal.com]

Sphix turned around, startled by the voice. She looked the woman in skirt and T-shirt up and down again. Yes, probably an Egyptian, although she couldn’t be absolutely sure. The Greeks she could tell apart, but with anyone else her instincts got a bit blurry.

“I might be”, the sphinx answered. “Or I might not. Wouldn’t you just like to know?”

[first-catwoman.livejournal.com]

Bast rolled her eyes, smiling. "Now with an answer like that I know it's you, sphinx. How've you been?"

[theban-sphinx.livejournal.com]

Sphix narrowed her eyes just a bit. The woman seemed to know her, when she had no idea who the goddess was. It was possible, she reflected, that they had met in the passing, but if they had, Sphix had no recollection of the incident.

“I don’t recall”, she said, her voice cold, “ever having to explain my beings and doings to Egyptian deities. And I’m not about to start doing so now.”

[first-catwoman.livejournal.com]

"Me-ow!" Laughed Bast, not really offended. "Fine, I suppose your business is your own I'm in too good a mood to let curiousity kill the cat this time around."

She wiggled her fingers at the irrate woman, and turned back to the rest of the group.

[theban-sphinx.livejournal.com]

The sphinx let out a small sound, something that could have been a short laugh or could have been a snort. Then she returned her eyes to Ruby and Mic. Her thoughts remained elsewhere, going back and forth between distant times and places and the present situation. Practise sessions for deities and other beings… she wondered what sort of conflict they were preparing for, and if it wouldn’t be prudent to be somewhere far away by the time it became evident what it was.