☼ Wing ☼ (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
winged_knight) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
re_alignment_logs2012-07-18 06:58 pm
winged_knight) wrote in re_alignment_logs2012-07-18 06:58 pm
[Open] En Garde!
WHO: Wing and anyone
WHERE: One of the larger lower platforms in Vector's Quadrant.
WHEN: Now (Wing personally practices twice a week, anyone may join/visit.)
WHAT: Melee sparring sessions, hand-to-hand and weapons combat. Anyone may watch, participate, receive or offer instruction. Technique discussion welcome as well.
WARNINGS: None yet.
Just enough light from Prima's quadrant touches the network of crystal cables crisscrossing Vector's domain that they turn slightly golden. One wide hanging bridge connects the main approach to one of many large platforms, Vector's tower standing vigil farther behind it. The platform has little in the way of walls, barriers or guard rails, but it is quite large with ample room for several groups to occupy should they choose to. There's a section near the middle, bare except for a large ring on the ground formed from bits of rope and cable knotted together. There's what appears to be a makeshift sparring dummy constructed of various bits of junk nearby.
The knight begins with a warm-up kata, slow and measured with empty and open hands, his movements pushing and pulling with a grace something his size and made of metal would not be expected to have. The warm up eventually transitions into faster flowing movements, punctuated by stronger, tighter fisted and more aggressive movements. Finally it escalates to drawn weapons, their plasma charge singing in the air as the blades move around the jet's body in a combative type of dance.
In several centuries of study and practice, Wing has mastered several forms of martial combat. Offensive and defensive stances, evades, holds, throws, parries, feints, disengages, missile deflects, but most importantly, incapacitates. Using knowledge precisely and intentionally applied to debilitate but not kill one's opponent was a key element to upholding the Circle of Light's philosophy.
All this, and yet Wing has had opportunity to apply but a small portion of it in true combat.
It's time now to expand that into practical application and test it in a much more informal setting. Wing seeks to expand the breadth of his experience while offering a vast knowledge base teachable to others.
WHERE: One of the larger lower platforms in Vector's Quadrant.
WHEN: Now (Wing personally practices twice a week, anyone may join/visit.)
WHAT: Melee sparring sessions, hand-to-hand and weapons combat. Anyone may watch, participate, receive or offer instruction. Technique discussion welcome as well.
WARNINGS: None yet.
Just enough light from Prima's quadrant touches the network of crystal cables crisscrossing Vector's domain that they turn slightly golden. One wide hanging bridge connects the main approach to one of many large platforms, Vector's tower standing vigil farther behind it. The platform has little in the way of walls, barriers or guard rails, but it is quite large with ample room for several groups to occupy should they choose to. There's a section near the middle, bare except for a large ring on the ground formed from bits of rope and cable knotted together. There's what appears to be a makeshift sparring dummy constructed of various bits of junk nearby.
The knight begins with a warm-up kata, slow and measured with empty and open hands, his movements pushing and pulling with a grace something his size and made of metal would not be expected to have. The warm up eventually transitions into faster flowing movements, punctuated by stronger, tighter fisted and more aggressive movements. Finally it escalates to drawn weapons, their plasma charge singing in the air as the blades move around the jet's body in a combative type of dance.
In several centuries of study and practice, Wing has mastered several forms of martial combat. Offensive and defensive stances, evades, holds, throws, parries, feints, disengages, missile deflects, but most importantly, incapacitates. Using knowledge precisely and intentionally applied to debilitate but not kill one's opponent was a key element to upholding the Circle of Light's philosophy.
All this, and yet Wing has had opportunity to apply but a small portion of it in true combat.
It's time now to expand that into practical application and test it in a much more informal setting. Wing seeks to expand the breadth of his experience while offering a vast knowledge base teachable to others.
This is whole thread is delicious sword porn, it can't be helped! (I started it anyway, LOL!)
His foot scuffs the ground as he shifts into a more combat ready stance.
"Limits? Depends on what we're talking about." There was no way he was going to evade the subject, so he might as well run with it. Sparring, regardless or swords or hand-to-hand, was sometimes close, intimate work.
He sidesteps, making a slow strafing circle, watching, learning Drift's movements.
"But everyone has limits." His mouth quirks. "Mine is in assuming all people fight fair, right?"
Wing jabs in with several swift, small strokes, testing the other swordmech's guard. Then he returns that cocky smile.
"But if you're willing to stick it out. You'll get to see it all."
and then drift had to go and make it all angsty
...welp. That sucked the sexy out of this conversation. But it reminds Drift, again, how miraculous it was to see Wing again. And how much he'd do to never, ever see Wing like that again.
A few of the quick test strikes get through, partly because Drift is distracted and partly because, well, he doesn't really spend as much energy on guarding as he does on assault.
He shakes his head, tossing that mood off, and then lunges in, coming in below a guard toward Wing's thigh. He may not be perfect on defense, but he's got some skills on offense.
"Who says I'm willing to wait that long?"
Of course! Where would Wing's mini sun be without his little black rain cloud counterpart?
Most of his blows are pulled, inflicting little to no damage but close enough to make the heat of his blades felt. Drift's timing is good however, as Wing's own defense is a touch shaken thanks to the earlier disruption.
Wing sees Drift commit the energy to the lunge just before it happens and circle parries low to catch the blade, but he's out of position. Even shifting back to pull his leg out of range the tip of Drift's blade still drags a shallow mark over the top of his thigh.
"Nice." The jet concedes, noting his own error. "Impatient. You really enjoy rushing into things, don't you?" Not that Wing would mind...in some cases.
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He gives a whimper as his blade scores Wing's thigh, as if he were the one in pain, apology written in every line of his frame.
He frowns, straightening. "Not nice. Lack of control.". It proved his point of earlier, but he'd rather have been wrong.
He gives a shrug, "Life's too short for patience, sometimes."
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"I meant more you exploiting the opening." He would have made the same choice.
"A scratch." Nothing terrible. Nothing that would slow him down. And if they were to do this training the way Wing needed it, there'd likely be worse to come. "Learning control comes from needing to have it."
Life's too short is an odd saying to apply to mechanical beings that live for multiple millennia, but then Wing's recently discovered how true that saying can really be. And those regrets he had? He plans to do something about them.
"Sometimes...yes."
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He gives a nervous laugh. "I'm not used to being the one doing the teaching." He flicks his blade playfully toward Wing's chassis, too far away to make contact. "You'd better hope my methods are gentler than yours."
"It is when you realize what you've got to lose."
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"Not too late to generate new habits."
He grins back at Drift, optics tracking the tip of the other's blade. "I guess we both get to try new things then, hmm?" A quirk of the mouth, but not due to cockiness, as he resumes a combative stance. "You don't have to be gentle."
A slow nod. "And how swiftly it can be gone."
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It was one reason he kept the Great Sword with him, and the reason he figured the Knights did, too: a reminder of how dangerous their power really was.
He gives a quiet snort of laughter. "You're always trying to teach me new habits. Last time I was with you, tried to teach me to fly." Or at least crash land a lot. It feels strange to even try to make a joke of it, but he's trying. It should be in the past, harmless. He hopes.
"I don't want to lose---" He cuts himself off abruptly, the word 'you' still swelling in his vocalizer.
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Wing blinks a moment, confused by Drift's comment. And then it hits him, and there's an indelicate snerk of amusement before he catches himself.
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't..." He'd cover his mouth if he had a free hand, but the way his pinions quiver slightly in mirth would still give him away. Wing shakes his head to recover his composure, falling out of stance.
There's a catch in his vents at Drift's next words and he looks up, eyes darkly sincere. "I don't want that to happen either. To either of us." Wing can't make promises in this regard, but he can do everything else in his power to prevent it.
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"Wing." The grin crumbles. "I...I'm sorry. About." He can't even finish the thought. And he knows Wing will likely say the words, but he knows...it's not enough. Some things even forgiveness doesn't heal.
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"Drift... I--I know."
It's something that can't be stopped. He's drawn forward, his blades going quiescent, face lambent with sincerity. "Please, you know I don't hold it against you. You made a mistake, but everything else you did was right." He covers the last three steps in one, launching himself at the other mech, both sword grips jammed into one hand, his arms wrapping around Drift in a hug that he hopes is not unwelcome.
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And it's all he is able to say, as Wing throws his arms around him. He almost flinches back--his mind screaming that this isn't real, this isn't really happening as much as he wants it to, and that if it was, he wasn't worthy--but then tilts forward, his own hands awkward and hesitant around Wing's waist.
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The embrace is the best way he can think to forgive, when words don't feel as adequate as they should. So he lets his actions speak for him, his presence searching, reaching, hoping for healing for them both. Mistakes had been made, bad things had happened, but Wing knew Drift had done everything in his power to make things right. All Wing wanted now was for them both to find some happiness.
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He releases the jet, reluctantly, a smile that's almost on the edge of tears on his face. "Swords," he manages, barely audible over the hum of his cooling fans.
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"I-I'm sorry. I...overstepped." Wing ducks his head, an attempt to hide the flash of shame and regret, a tinge of pain at the rejection. He should know better than to push the boundaries, it was one of his failings.
"Right. Swords." Wing steps away, reading his weapons again and turning 180 to put distance between them again, using the moment to marshal his fortitude and regain his composure.
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"Wing. I just..." No. NO explanation would make it better. Wing was out of Drift's league and he'd had no right to touch him at all. Better to let the moment pass, so at least he could hold to the beautiful memory.
He nods, bracing himself, redrawing his swords. "I...uh I've tried to learn."
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But the confusion remains, and he looks back, casting his optics around Drift, searching, hopeful, wanting the rest of that statement but not knowing if he had the right to ask. So an offer instead, same as before. "I'll listen. Anytime. You want..."
The hint of a smile, because the other swordmech has learned a fair amount as far Wing could tell. "You're bright Drift, you've figured out most of the basics already for what I can see."
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He shrugs off the compliment. "Only thing I've ever been good at: violence. I'm at least trying to use it right this time. " Like you, he almost adds.
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Wing just wants to know, to understand Drift and his trials, his experiences both old and new. It was the stuff of friendship, which Wing wanted to claim regardless of what else they might become.
"It's true." The part about Drift being bright. It'd just been applied in very narrow fields. "You are. And I'm glad to see it. Maybe there's other things you're good at, you just don't know because you haven't had the opportunity to try."
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He's forgotten entirely about sparring, the weapons loose in his hands. "I'd...I don't even know where to start. Except this."
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Wing is not much better. He realizes now, that in their previous time together they did lots of talking, with words about the past, and with actions about values and choices.
Here, this, is talk of the future. One they're shaping. A future together. It strikes him so profoundly there's a bright glint in his optics.
"It's a place to start, you could always learn new things, styles, techniques that don't involve lethality. But beyond that there's a whole world of options. You have lots of time and freedom to discover them."
He cocks his head, curious, "Is there anything you've always wanted to do and couldn't?"
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"I don't...I mean, all I've ever done is try to survive." He grins. "Now I just want to make the world better, somehow." So...uh, right. How does he do that, Wing?
Oh GOD if Wing only knew.....
"I know. But there's the opportunity to do more than survive now. It's not out of your grasp to try to thrive. There are still challenges, but there's less keeping you down now than ever before." He smiles, because he really does want to see Drift happy and thriving.
"The world is a pretty big place, start with what you can reach. One person at a time if you have to."
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He tries a shy smile. One person? Does he get to pick? Because right now, Wing is pretty reachable....
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It could be anyone. But Drift is here, smiling at him. And that smile is the greatest of rewards, because to Wing it's a rare and beautiful thing. It reflects back at Drift with all of Wing's light. Grinning, he adds, "Familiar territory is not a bad place to start."
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