(no subject)

[mortalcoil]

Who: Coil Lenn
Broadcast: Text (and not anonymous, for once)
Action: Iskaulit, in the gym
When: Morning


[it is a rare day indeed that Coil sends out a message with his identification attached to it, but he figures it's probably hard to convince someone to fight with you when they don't know who's asking. and he takes time to write the thing up properly, like putting an ad in the paper.]

Looking for sparring partner-- hand-to-hand or melee weapons. Experienced combatants only. Iskaulit Gym.


[and he just tosses the communicator off to the side for a bit, after that. he'll return to check his messages after he's beaten the shit out of a sandbag for a while.

and whether or not they've caught his message, anyone can find him haunting the gym--either moping around like he doesn't know why he's there, or whirling a quarterstaff around and clobbering a sandbag with single-minded focus. just a combat-oriented teenager in a bad mood.]


(ooc: and for anyone who isn't really into tagging fight threads, but still wants to spar with him, we can handwave or gloss over some things.)

Comments

[child_of_bhaal]

[As if she wouldn't come find him after that message. This is a healthy request in her opinion. Beat something (or rather someone) up a bit, and work out the emotions she knows he's still carrying around.

She finds the 'gym' mostly by looking around everywhere on the Iskaulit. Because she doesn't know what one looks like. They don't have such things where she's from. But find it, she does, walking in to see him beating up a bag. She ways for a moment between strikes, so she knows he'll hear her.]

Coil. I saw your message. The invitation still open?

video;

[bloodbiter]

I have several years experience wielding a sword, but I'm afraid it didn't make the journey with me. Would you happen to have any training swords?

[maschinenpistole]

[ It isn't too long before Kotoha shows up - she hasn't seen the gym yet, and she's a little on the bored and antsy side, so why not?

She steps into the gym, hands clasped together behind her back, and looks around. She smiles when she sees Coil beating the crap out of that sandbag like it's personally offended him. Yep, she's totally ready for this. ]

You must be Coil Lenn... You wanted a sparring partner?

[tothefly]

[She doesn't bother responding to the text. Just shows up in the gym, dressed like she's ready to go. Doesn't even take her all that long--she was already on the Iskaulit, going through her near-daily set of warmups and meditations in her studio. So, no need for warmups or stretching, really, which just means they can go.

She's pretty sure the kid's not so far gone he's totally oblivious, but she still intentionally makes her footsteps heard as she steps in, heading straight for the makeshift boxing ring Barnes has set up and waiting in the center, hands loose at her sides. If he looks over, all her gets is a motion with her chin. come on, already. Let's go.]

[frigidaire]

[ it takes Isaac a little while before he actually shows up at the gym. he almost talked himself out of it, because fighting on a ship was probably a bad idea, but it would definitely be a way to pass the time.

not that he's the best of fighters, but this could be fun either way, right? ]

I think you won. [ he's leaning in the doorway, watching the guy beat the life out of the sandbag. ]

text, then video;

[mortalcoil]

ill check

[and then there is several minutes of nothing, before a video feed finally flips on. on the screen is a raggedy-looking, one-eyed teenager, holding up a makeshift wooden sword. it's little more than a stick, but it looks sturdy enough.

he tilts his head in a questioning manner.]

[mortalcoil]

[hesitating between strikes, he glances over his shoulder, and seems surprised to see her there.

or... maybe more skeptical than surprised. his brow furrows as he glances over her, either wondering about her ability, or unsure about her actually wanting to fight him. it's quite a switch from where they both started, after all.

he nods a little, though. the invitation still stands.]

[mortalcoil]

[it takes him a second to pull out of the focus with which he is brutalizing that sandbag, but he finally hesitates between strikes to glance over his shoulder.

and... his brow furrows a little. maybe this wasn't what he was expecting a prospective sparring partner to look like.

either way, after a few moments, he answers with a small nod.]

[mortalcoil]

[with how much frustration he's been venting on the dummies on and off throughout the day, he's definitely warmed up and ready to go by the time she shows up. and with how unsatisfying it is to hit something that doesn't hit back, he is more than ready to jump into the ring with her. there isn't a hesitation once he spots her and sees that look. he heads right over.

and if she's not bringing a weapon, he'll leave his behind as well. even the wraps on his hands won't help him here, with how they cover his palms instead of his knuckles or fingers.

once he's in the ring, he gives her a short little nod--his subtle version of acknowledgement and thanks. he's ready to move as soon as she does.]

[mortalcoil]

[he halts up between strikes, blinking out of his hyper-focus to shoot a look over his shoulder at the voice.

and he doesn't answer, exactly, but he does seem a tiny bit sheepish as he lowers his weapon and catches his breath.

he really was beating the hell out of it, wasn't he? apparently, he hadn't noticed how into it he'd been getting, until it was pointed out.]

[maschinenpistole]

[ She returns the nod, takes a step forward, holds out her hand and... sticks out her tongue?

For a second, her eyes brighten into a jarring green. Electricity crackles along her lips as she speaks again: ]

Shortcut: stick!

[ A quarterstaff appears in her hands. Eyes and mouth returned to normal, she tests the staff's weight, then looks to him again. ]

I won't summon anything else while we do this, unless you want to me to. [ Up to him. Whatever level of unpredictability he wants, she'll oblige. ]

Shall we?

[ She's ready when he is. ]

[child_of_bhaal]

[Good enough for her. Coming closer she takes off her cloak, tosses it aside. Hey chain shirt usually stays in her room these days when she's not on a planet or waystation. No real need for that kind of protection in the relative safety of the Fleet. So it's just her tunic and leathers; even footing in her mind.]

Weapons or hand to hand? You pick.

[She's game. Very actually. She could use a good fight. It's been a while.]

[tothefly]

[She only waits long enough for him to hop into the ring, thankfully without the staff. While she can manage an opponent with a handheld weapon like that, it isn't what she came here for. This is something a little more visceral. Nothing less than fists on flesh would make the loss easier to bear. It might not work either, but hadn't she told Syeira she'd try?

She moves without preamble at his nod, closing the distance between them with her arms raised into a guarded position, not bothering with the slow, easy lunges and reaches she might normally start a fight like this with. She's seen him fight before. For him, she doesn't pull her punches, only aims a series of swift blows towards his torso, a right jab towards his jaw.

Her one concession is she does, so far at least, not come at him from his blind side.]

action;

[enshields]

[His being in the gym is completely coincidental. When he tires of doing endless laps on the Bloodsport, or of abusing (and on more than one occasion breaking) its meagre gym supplies, he comes to the Iskaulit. He comes in, brings his bag and seems - to all intents and purposes - to be content with ignoring everything else going on in the gym in favour of a gymnastic-styled warm-up.

It's not until Coil busts out the quarterstaff that Steve actually looks at him askance and at length,]

Up for a partner?

[It's a casual offer. The kid obviously knows what he's doing, but Steve knows pent-up anger when he sees it, and that sort of thing's best not taken out on a bag.]

action;

[mortalcoil]

[and this is one of those wells of anger that runs deep. his hounding focus is interrupted when he's spoken to, but that look doesn't go away. it just goes a little quieter and shifts--glancing over to consider the man and his offer, sizing him up instead of the punching bag.

he looks a little hesitant when he nods, but it's only because the guy is a total stranger. and kind of... big.]

[mortalcoil]

[the sign for hand-to-hand is pretty self-explanatory, and he follows it up with the traced shape of a question mark.

he wants to know if that's something she wants to do... because really, there's nothing like striking and grappling with your own hands to get that energy out.]

[child_of_bhaal]

[She nods, enthusiastically, and a smile comes across her face. Yes, she smiles a lot, but this is a different tone all together. It's anticipatory, perhaps a little predatory.

She takes a stance, hands up and ready, one foot behind the other. It's nothing recognizable as any specific form, but it does look like she at least knows what she's doing.]

Ready when you are.

action;

[enshields]

[Not a hard thing to interpret, and Steve gives him a bit of a wan smile and holds his hands out, palm-up to show they're empty.]

Promise I'm not out to hurt anybody.

[That much has never changed. It still bothers him, to be taken as intimidating. Not as much as it used to, but-- five years in a body that can bend steel doesn't have much marketable currency against two decades to the contrary.]

But I am stronger than a normal human, so don't be afraid to come at me, either.

[He sweeps a hand at the sparring mats to indicate that's where they should go, and precedes the kid there. Steve has no real intention of fighting back, he'll stick to blocking and dodging. He never takes a swing at anyone he doesn't already know can take it. Especially a kid.]

[mortalcoil]

[yeah... give him a minute. he needs to spend a few beats just being shocked over witnessing... all of that.

and he's not ready right away. instead of falling into position, he points incredulously at his own mouth, gesturing where she'd just been spitting electricity. the question of what the hell was all of that is on his face.]

[mortalcoil]

[she doesn't reach and test, and he doesn't bob around on his feet like a boxer or dueling martial artist. he steps lightly and is ready to move fast, but he moves in smoothly and deliberately, like someone does when trained more to end a fight quickly from the shadows than prolong it face-to-face. but he's pretty sure he doesn't have to pretend to be something he's not, with her. so, he doesn't bother.

and he starts out strong. he's been well-primed with anger and adrenaline; he falls eagerly into the rhythm of trading blows in rapid succession. he absorbs and blocks what she throws at him, and then returns similar strikes fast in her direction. but, he's not going at this to practice or improve; he's aiming to burn himself out.

he won't be able to keep up the ferocity forever, but at least he's starting well.]

action;

[mortalcoil]

[really, it's that second comment that convinces him. a subtle light glints in the kid's otherwise tired-looking eye, and he nods again. sounds good to him.

after propping his staff to the side, he meets his opponent on the mats.

and Steve might not have any intention of coming after him, but after Coil rolls his shoulders and falls into balanced, ready stance, he gives a little beckon toward him. the big guys gets the first move.]

[enshields]

[He raises an eyebrow when the staff gets set aside-- he'd sort of intended for it to come along, but he won't argue, either.

He does huff a bit at the kid's expectant little gesture. Deliver him from people, no matter how talented or experienced, who consider him a welcome challenge. But, with a put-upon but ultimately obedient little sigh, he nods. Give him a second to size everything up and to slip sideways into a headspace that's less fighting for his life than usual. The only person he spars with regularly back home is Natasha, and she's never once let him hold back.]

Before we start-- is there something I can call you? I'm Steve.

[frigidaire]

I mean, whatever makes you feel better. I'm not stopping you.

[ he holds up his hands, but there might be a little bit if judgement in it. Isaac knows about anger problems, okay, he's probably been here done that before. ]

I just got your message, but looks like you've got your sparring partner.

[tothefly]

[It's only the two of them here, and they've fought together before. He has at least some idea of what she's capable of, and vice versa. No need for either of them to pretend. This isn't a game, this isn't training or gathering intel or even sparring, not really. This is lancing a boil, this is draining poison from a wound. She knows how it is, to need that.]

[It's almost like a dance, after a moment or two, albeit a vicious one that's going to leave both of them sore after. She's hitting hard enough to leave bruises, though not hard enough to break or seriously damage anything. So far, he's done her the same courtesy. Every blow has a block to match it, though at least one glancing hit to her ribs makes it through. She counters with a kick, ducking back and aiming a swift one-two towards his midsection.]

[mortalcoil]

[well, that's an interesting look. it's both something that reassures him that this will be a worthwhile fight, and is something a little bit unsettling, given the nature of the things that usually give him those looks.

it brings up his combat instinct, either way.

setting his staff off to the side, he readies to match her... but he also slinks a step backward, and motions for her to come at at him at the same time.]