[Voice / Action]

[dissonates]

I need to speak with one of the Malnosso.


[Today, Asch is all over the place. First to the plaza, to check the item bazaar for a few things; next, to the north edge of the village, above the houses, his favourite spot to blow shit up practice his fonic artes; finally, to the opposite edge, sword practice against the targets inside the barracks. He's gotten so restless since Luke's disappearance and he needs to stay on the move to avoid going crazy.

Feel free to bother him at any of those locations or even en route; he could use some socializing.]

Comments

[Action]

[dissonates]

[And Asch just. Stands back to watch. He's not crossing swords with Cloud again until he learns to control himself, the overpowered freak.]

[Action]

[herobydefault.livejournal.com]

[Okay practicing something new is fine, but Cloud is getting self-conscious with you staring. So after a second he pauses and just...turns to Asch.] ...uh.

[Action]

[dissonates]

[....] What?

[Action]

[herobydefault.livejournal.com]

Could you not stare? It's creeping me out.

[Action]

[dissonates]

I'm watching, there's a difference.

[Action]

[herobydefault.livejournal.com]

I'm just getting used to the weight, you don't need to watch me do that.

[Action]

[dissonates]

Do you want my help or not?

[Action]

[herobydefault.livejournal.com]

["Not if I'm going to be under close surveillance."]

...Yes.

[Action]

[dissonates]

Then stop complaining.

[Action]

[herobydefault.livejournal.com]

[Do not punch your instructor, Cloud.] Well, then I'm ready.

[Action]

[dissonates]

[Yeah, don't punch your instructor.] Bullshit. You barely even started.

[Action]

[herobydefault.livejournal.com]

I learn quickly. [Which is true. IE: Final Fantasy VII the game.]

[Action]

[dissonates]

[UGH HE HATES COCKY PEOPLE] Fine, prove it.

[Action]

[herobydefault.livejournal.com]

[Cloud hefts the sword; it's much more familiar in his hand this time, and he's got much better control. Probably not as good as he could have, but that can also be blamed on him knowing jack shit about the "proper" way to use one.

Cloud takes a practice strike at Asch.]

[Action]

[dissonates]

[Asch lifts his own sword to meet the strike, ducking his head slightly and bracing himself for the impact again. Better this time; surprisingly so. Obviously untrained, but he's definitely seen worse.]

[Action]

[herobydefault.livejournal.com]

[When Asch gives no indication or word for him to stop, Cloud presses onward with his assault. It's obvious that he knows his way around a blade -in a way that someone might recognize which end to use on the bad guys and has done it rather often- but hasn't been officially trained in any real technique. His strikes are erratic.]

[Action]

[dissonates]

[Asch notices this, actually, and before too long he begins to make his own retaliation instead of just letting Cloud wail away at him. He doesn't take it too seriously - there's little sense in trying to injure someone he's in the middle of instructing - but he doesn't exactly go easy, either. Someone with the sort of experience Cloud obviously has isn't likely to appreciate pussyfooting.]

[Action]

[herobydefault.livejournal.com]

[Asch actually striking back instead of just playing defense surprises Cloud before he adapts. He can feel himself able to move faster without the weight and sheer size of the blade slowing him down, but he also can feel his blows lessen in power without the weight of the blade to drag them down. It's very strange, and more often than not Cloud is caught slicing from too far away, or not putting enough power behind his attacks.

His side and shoulder start to throb as well, and he reflects blankly that maybe he shouldn't have been so eager to practice today.]

[Action]

[dissonates]

[Though most of his attention is focused on meeting Cloud's strikes blow for blow, Asch keeps an eye on Cloud's technique, or lack thereof. His form isn't bad, but it could definitely use work; quick movement with a large weapon is challenging, to say the least, and without proper training it can't have been easy to stay alive, let alone win battles. Asch would respect that if he didn't think it was rather idiotic.

Before too long he picks up the pace, raising the ante for the offensive- time to show Cloud what small swords can do, so he can decide for himself what he really wants to do.]

[Action]

[herobydefault.livejournal.com]

[Cloud had fought a wide variety of enemies; large, skilled, fast, powerful. He'd been put through concrete walls and knocked around four times before he'd even seen a blow.

He could tell that Asch as good, though. And moving as he was -focusing more on precision and strategy than overwhelming power- he knew he was going to lose. His side was aching and his shoulder throbbed with steady pangs. He moves too quickly -or too slow?- on a thrust, misses a step and Asch's sword scores a cut through his shirt and against his side. It feels like a whipcrack over an open wound and he drops to a knee to grab it.]

[Action]

[dissonates]

[Asch stops short as soon as Cloud falls, lowering his blade. Something's wrong; someone as strong as that shouldn't have gone down from a grazing blow.]

...What?

[Action]

[herobydefault.livejournal.com]

Nothing. [Cloud grips his shirt, then pushes himself back to his feet and shakes the tenseness out of his arm by drawing the sword in a quick, readying arc in front of himself. It hurt, but not as much as his pride.

Damn you Yazoo, you son of a bitch.] Let's keep going.

[Action]

[dissonates]

[And Asch knows bullshit when he sees it - he lies on a daily basis and he lives with Guy, for crying out loud - but if Cloud wants to beat himself up, it's his call. So he shrugs, raising his sword again and prepping himself for round 2.]

[Action]

[herobydefault.livejournal.com]

[Needless to say, round 2 is going to go only somewhat better than round 1. Cloud is frazzled and distracted by thoughts of the fight with Yazoo, everything he'd done wrong -and everything he couldn't change- and it isn't long before Asch slips past his guard and gets another hit in.

Cloud doesn't fall this time, though; he just gets more aggressive. And more reckless.]

[Action]

[dissonates]

[Contrary to Cloud's mixed up mind, Asch is focusing only on the battle, which is probably why he's doing better than Cloud- aside from the whole experience-with-a-smaller-blade thing :| He backs off a little when Cloud starts to push harder, switching from offense to defense and letting the other man work out his aggression. He's not taking any chances, not with that strength of his.]