[Yu has the hat in hand. Effectively, he's won this little match -- he could walk away and live to witch for a few more minutes, at minimum.
But that sounds almost like a dare, and he's very interested.
His katana isn't nearly as cool as Riku's keyblade -- by contrast, it's actually pretty ordinary. Nondescript. But he draws it as if he's done it a thousand times before, and he doesn't shy away from responding,] depends on what kind of challenge you're looking for.
its wonderful. theyre bonding. healing spells exist itll be fine
[ riku had been mostly expecting yu to run, summon something else as a distraction and bolt with his admittedly deserved prize. sure, he probably would have chased after him regardless, but it's way more fun to watch yu unsheathe the sword with practiced ease and fall into a battle pose. ah, good. a fellow mixed warrior.
it's been a while since he's sparred with an unknown. with a smile that's only a little cocky, riku raises braveheart into his usual one-handed high ward stance. ]
Can we start with the riddle of your name, before we get into it?
A fight wasn't exactly where Yu had expected this day to go, but in true silent protag form, he's not about to back down from a challenge. So it looks like they're doing this. He does pause for introductions, though. Names do seem like they'd be useful, before they either beat each other up or cause property damage. (Or both.)]
Yu Narukami. What about you?
a friendly spar over a game where theyre definitely going to cause collateral
[ given the circumstances! y'know, weird ai prison world and all!
studying him, unwilling to make the first move in their standoff, riku takes in yu's stance and the type of blade he's using. it's much more frail-looking than his keyblade, but he's been stopped by weapons of smaller size before. it's the summons he's curious about. how did they appear?
ah well. only one way to find out, now.
riku dashes forward, keyblade ahead of him a distraction for the thundara he's preparing in his free hand. ]
[...feels like a weird thing to say to someone you're about to fight. But, I mean, that's what sparring is, anyway, so it's fine. Right? It's fine.
There's a lot to focus on, here: between Riku's strangely-shaped sword (it looks almost like a...key?) and the skill in his movement, he almost misses the magic cast entirely. Yu was expecting more ice, to be honest --he has a fire Persona ready and everything-- but the crackle of lightning in his free hand is a surprise. Does he have anything strong against it? ...no time -- everything happens so much. Kikuri-Hime resists electricity, at least, so it'll probably hurt, but...not...as much??
Video game characters are weird.
He doesn't summon her just yet; distraction or not, he's got his sword at the ready to deflect the blade coming at him, watching to see what he's about to do with that lightning.]
best way to get to know someone is to beat the crap out of them first
riku's keyblade is angled to clash with yu's katana, a scraping clang of metal on metal. braveheart is a heavy weapon, but riku bears his swing down for only a moment before channeling the thundara through the span of his arms to cast it from the tip of his keyblade instead.
surprise, it's an aoe spell! not the strongest one he could've cast, but busting out a thundaga at this stage seems excessive. electricity crackles in the air, thin bolts descending from above their heads, with the strongest focused on yu as riku slips past and readies another swing with his keyblade. ]
[The clash of blades is quick, fleeting, clearly a ploy to distract Yu from the spell that follows. And!! It works!! Or more accurately, there are only so many things you can really do at the same time, and Yu prioritizes not getting stabbed over the potential magic attack coming behind it.
It's a choice, for sure, and he feels the consequence of that choice in the form of basically lowkey electrocution. Kikuri-Hime's influence lessens the damage, but it still hurts, showing in a grimace and a wobble in his stance. He can't afford much more than that, not when Riku is already getting ready for another strike. In fact, he'd better act fast, or he's going to end up on the defensive for the entirety of the fight, and that's not a great place to be.
So. Let's try that fire.]
Kikuri-Hime-- [Ugh, there's still a bit of strain in his voice from that attack. Maybe he's a little out of practice. Anyway, Riku wanted to see how he summons his Personas, and Yu is happy to give the demonstration: a card bearing the Persona's likeness appears in his hand. When he shatters the card, Kikuri-Hime actually appears. ...And then she tries to set Riku on fire.]
[ the speed with which the persona appears is something unexpected - it's quick, that card flashing into existence and being shattered in a moment - and riku has no time to put up a barrier before the fire spell hits.
ow. he's taken fire spells before, from stronger foes to the spitting embers of those bouncing coalpot heartless in the realm of darkness, but he has no natural resistance to it aside from his outfit's slight magic ward. the slash he'd been aiming for turns instead into a sweep to stave off the flames. his bare forearms prickle with the heat, and he's forced back a slight distance.
this was a different summon, huh. if this one uses fire, then she probably resisted fire too, right? that's how it works. ]
How many of these cool women do you even have?
[ it's a joke, as he's patting an ember off of his sleeve. then he's steely-eyed again, striking braveheart out to cast another blizzara. ]
[So it's a hit, but it doesn't seem to be a weakness. Yu makes note of that, mentally; Riku's magic doesn't seem to work the same way his does, so he's got to keep on his toes.]
A few, [said wryly, but there's little more than a hint of amusement in his expression, because Riku's already striking again, and Yu realizes when his katana crosses the keyblade that this guy's strong with magic and physical attacks.]
Why, looking to make new friends?
[His breath puffs in the sudden chill surrounding the spell. That was a miscalculation, on his part; he had been expecting Riku to try a different element, rather than a repeat, and he grimaces as ice crystals explode around him, leaving him sore and numb in turn.
Cool women aren't all he's got, though. His next move is a little outside his normal strategy, but just because I think it'd be funny to hit him with light: it's Atavaka he summons next.] Let's try hama.
[Look. Listen. Hamaon is usually an insta-kill attack, but we're gonna pretend it just does light damage instead, because that would be insane.]
Hey, strong friends are never a bad thing to make!
[ the amusement on yu's face has riku smirking back. but recognising that the unfamiliar word was the cast of a spell was the easy part. predicting a light spell would've been nearly impossible. light was a form of magic riku associated with people of extremely significant power - sora and kairi of course, as well as roxas, the overpowered bastard - so the flurry of prayer papers and bright beams of catch him by surprise.
yeah it hurts. he's a being of balance, both light and dark in tandem, but that still meant he had a much bigger portion of darkness than most others and it was not a fan of being outshone. it recoils, then flares; riku squints through the blinding light, darting back out of the brightness and letting the darkness coil around his arm.
focus, for just a moment, not anywhere close to the overkill of a full salvo. but his shotlock fires off a volley of dark energy.
[That was just part of how he lived, back in Inaba. Not that he sought out strength, exactly...it just seemed to find him. Yu thinks of this fight in that context, too; how much fun it is just to let loose like this with someone who can take it. Who's willing to roll with it.
Speaking of rolling with it: he's absolutely not expecting the rebound of dark magic. Reflexively, surprised, he finds himself half-exclaiming "wh--!" before he's absolutely pummeled by the barrage of dark magic. He couldn't have expected the sudden counterattack, but knowing he didn't have time to equip something resistant to darkness doesn't make it hurt any damn less. It takes him a second to catch his breath, to shake off the sting of pain.]
That's not a bad trick. [Master of understatement. Oh my god, they're both so dumb. The hat is even entirely forgotten, at this point.
Anyway, he's not at the point where he needs a heal spell yet, but Yu can feel himself getting a little more tired with each use of magic. His SP has its limits, after all. So he takes a break, instead charging forward with a sweeping strike of his sword.]
[ shotlocks were the best actually. a tendril of darkness curls around his arm, still, and he shakes it away in time to meet yu's blade with the flat of braveheart's side - the peal of sound the metal meeting gives off is a little painful on the ears. his arms still feel almost sunburnt from the light spell, and he winces as he pushes back to bear down on the thinner katana.
sure, sword combat seemed fair. his own mp hadn't quite hit recharge, but he wanted to save a little in case a cure spell was needed rather than be caught out taking a major blow with no recovery available.
he rotates his keyblade in his hand, meeting the edge of yu's katana and trying to lock it in one of the divots braveheart sported along its own edge. his footwork is solid, braced to move - but he's goading again, challenging smile on his face. incredibly stupid. ]
Swordplay's alright, too. You've been through some stuff, huh?
[The curve of darkness around Riku's arm doesn't go unnoticed; cool gray eyes flick down to it for a moment before he focuses on the clash of their blades again. It does bring up questions; is it just a powerful spell? Is it normal? Or is there something about it that isn't quite under control? He doesn't know enough about how the other boy's magic to have an answer to that, but he's not sure he entirely wants to find out. Not right now.
Metal scrapes metal as Riku twists the keyblade; Yu's katana catches on the divot, but he pulls back before the blade can get too stuck, taking an extra step back --his footwork is not so solid-- from the force of it.
They're both being incredibly stupid, really, but they seem like they're having fun? One thing that can be gleaned from Yu's stance is that it's much less practiced than his attitude seems to imply. Almost as if he's learned most of what he knows from experience, rather than being taught.]
I could say the same for you, [said with a flicker of smile as he moves forward again, aiming low with his sword this time.]
[ the only reason riku notices the difference in their footwork is that he had been much the same until fairly recently. only through training briefly with terra and aqua had his own stances really solidified, the ragged edges of years of learning as he went being tucked more neatly into the mold of a more formal master. ]
Yeah, you could.
[ they're definitely having some idiotic sort of fun, though. riku echoes yu's smile even as he gets his leg clipped by the tip of yu's sword, a little hiss of pain following as he steps back. he's quick, despite his less trained form, and riku had admittedly underestimated the length of the blade.
well, that was an excuse to maybe show off a little now, right. he doesn't pause to reposition, instead flashing a smirk as he briefly blinks out of sight and ends up to yu's right, keyblade already swinging forward in a sweeping motion. ]
[Yu's frame of reference for battle has broadened considerably since he first got to Aldrip, but most of the monsters still amount to Shadows, at least in the way you fight them. He doesn't often fight other people, either -- not seriously, at least. So Riku disappears--]
...!
[--and it genuinely catches him off-guard.
He works on the most basic of his fighting instincts, quickly summoning the card for Atavaka. The Persona doesn't do anything yet, but his affinity for physical attacks does come in handy. Riku's blade hits Yu, palpably, sweeping right across his chest. But even though it knocks him back substantially, Atavaka blocks any damage he might have taken from the hit. It takes him a moment to catch his breath.]
[ it's bizarre to feel his blade connect - not quite with his full force, he's not out to break any bones over a hat (oh right, the hat) - and push back yu with the blow, but not feel the telltale catch of any damage being dealt. and sure enough, his eyes flick up to see his friendly adversary winded but unharmed.
probably for the best, but a mote of irritation crosses his thoughts regardless. ]
Thanks, but... hey, are you cheating or something?
[ he gestures vaguely at yu's intact form with braveheart. maybe a barrier spell? there'd been that card appearing, but it hadn't seemed like any magic had been cast. ]
I am, [he admits candidly, brushing dust off of his jacket. At least he has the good sense to look apologetic about it.] Sorry. It's a habit.
[He summons Atavaka one more time in a similar fashion, but doesn't cast a spell. Maybe it's a bad move to show his cards, so to speak, but Riku is enough of an impressive opponent that he knows when to call the match. Could he keep going like a cheat? Sure, it's basically how he survived the TV world. But it's not worth it for a friendly match like this.] This Persona blocks physical attacks. They may connect, but they don't hurt.
[At least he didn't go for Rangda. Repelling attacks would bring this to a whole new level.]
That's probably enough to disqualify me, so I think that means you win.
[He holds out the witch hat like a peace offering.]
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expiationlogs2024-10-14 08:59 am
oh my god this is gonna get dumb so fast LMAO
But that sounds almost like a dare, and he's very interested.
His katana isn't nearly as cool as Riku's keyblade -- by contrast, it's actually pretty ordinary. Nondescript. But he draws it as if he's done it a thousand times before, and he doesn't shy away from responding,] depends on what kind of challenge you're looking for.
its wonderful. theyre bonding. healing spells exist itll be fine
it's been a while since he's sparred with an unknown. with a smile that's only a little cocky, riku raises braveheart into his usual one-handed high ward stance. ]
Can we start with the riddle of your name, before we get into it?
that's how you make friends...we love to see it
A fight wasn't exactly where Yu had expected this day to go, but in true silent protag form, he's not about to back down from a challenge. So it looks like they're doing this. He does pause for introductions, though. Names do seem like they'd be useful, before they either beat each other up or cause property damage. (Or both.)]
Yu Narukami. What about you?
a friendly spar over a game where theyre definitely going to cause collateral
[ given the circumstances! y'know, weird ai prison world and all!
studying him, unwilling to make the first move in their standoff, riku takes in yu's stance and the type of blade he's using. it's much more frail-looking than his keyblade, but he's been stopped by weapons of smaller size before. it's the summons he's curious about. how did they appear?
ah well. only one way to find out, now.
riku dashes forward, keyblade ahead of him a distraction for the thundara he's preparing in his free hand. ]
big "someone will die (of fun!)" energy
[...feels like a weird thing to say to someone you're about to fight. But, I mean, that's what sparring is, anyway, so it's fine. Right? It's fine.
There's a lot to focus on, here: between Riku's strangely-shaped sword (it looks almost like a...key?) and the skill in his movement, he almost misses the magic cast entirely. Yu was expecting more ice, to be honest --he has a fire Persona ready and everything-- but the crackle of lightning in his free hand is a surprise. Does he have anything strong against it? ...no time -- everything happens so much. Kikuri-Hime resists electricity, at least, so it'll probably hurt, but...not...as much??
Video game characters are weird.
He doesn't summon her just yet; distraction or not, he's got his sword at the ready to deflect the blade coming at him, watching to see what he's about to do with that lightning.]
best way to get to know someone is to beat the crap out of them first
riku's keyblade is angled to clash with yu's katana, a scraping clang of metal on metal. braveheart is a heavy weapon, but riku bears his swing down for only a moment before channeling the thundara through the span of his arms to cast it from the tip of his keyblade instead.
surprise, it's an aoe spell! not the strongest one he could've cast, but busting out a thundaga at this stage seems excessive. electricity crackles in the air, thin bolts descending from above their heads, with the strongest focused on yu as riku slips past and readies another swing with his keyblade. ]
yeah! see! bonding!
It's a choice, for sure, and he feels the consequence of that choice in the form of basically lowkey electrocution. Kikuri-Hime's influence lessens the damage, but it still hurts, showing in a grimace and a wobble in his stance. He can't afford much more than that, not when Riku is already getting ready for another strike. In fact, he'd better act fast, or he's going to end up on the defensive for the entirety of the fight, and that's not a great place to be.
So. Let's try that fire.]
Kikuri-Hime-- [Ugh, there's still a bit of strain in his voice from that attack. Maybe he's a little out of practice. Anyway, Riku wanted to see how he summons his Personas, and Yu is happy to give the demonstration: a card bearing the Persona's likeness appears in his hand. When he shatters the card, Kikuri-Hime actually appears. ...And then she tries to set Riku on fire.]
no subject
ow. he's taken fire spells before, from stronger foes to the spitting embers of those bouncing coalpot heartless in the realm of darkness, but he has no natural resistance to it aside from his outfit's slight magic ward. the slash he'd been aiming for turns instead into a sweep to stave off the flames. his bare forearms prickle with the heat, and he's forced back a slight distance.
this was a different summon, huh. if this one uses fire, then she probably resisted fire too, right? that's how it works. ]
How many of these cool women do you even have?
[ it's a joke, as he's patting an ember off of his sleeve. then he's steely-eyed again, striking braveheart out to cast another blizzara. ]
no subject
A few, [said wryly, but there's little more than a hint of amusement in his expression, because Riku's already striking again, and Yu realizes when his katana crosses the keyblade that this guy's strong with magic and physical attacks.]
Why, looking to make new friends?
[His breath puffs in the sudden chill surrounding the spell. That was a miscalculation, on his part; he had been expecting Riku to try a different element, rather than a repeat, and he grimaces as ice crystals explode around him, leaving him sore and numb in turn.
Cool women aren't all he's got, though. His next move is a little outside his normal strategy, but just because I think it'd be funny to hit him with light: it's Atavaka he summons next.] Let's try hama.
[Look. Listen. Hamaon is usually an insta-kill attack, but we're gonna pretend it just does light damage instead, because that would be insane.]
no subject
[ the amusement on yu's face has riku smirking back. but recognising that the unfamiliar word was the cast of a spell was the easy part. predicting a light spell would've been nearly impossible. light was a form of magic riku associated with people of extremely significant power - sora and kairi of course, as well as roxas, the overpowered bastard - so the flurry of prayer papers and bright beams of catch him by surprise.
yeah it hurts. he's a being of balance, both light and dark in tandem, but that still meant he had a much bigger portion of darkness than most others and it was not a fan of being outshone. it recoils, then flares; riku squints through the blinding light, darting back out of the brightness and letting the darkness coil around his arm.
focus, for just a moment, not anywhere close to the overkill of a full salvo. but his shotlock fires off a volley of dark energy.
all this for a hat. ]
no subject
[That was just part of how he lived, back in Inaba. Not that he sought out strength, exactly...it just seemed to find him. Yu thinks of this fight in that context, too; how much fun it is just to let loose like this with someone who can take it. Who's willing to roll with it.
Speaking of rolling with it: he's absolutely not expecting the rebound of dark magic. Reflexively, surprised, he finds himself half-exclaiming "wh--!" before he's absolutely pummeled by the barrage of dark magic. He couldn't have expected the sudden counterattack, but knowing he didn't have time to equip something resistant to darkness doesn't make it hurt any damn less. It takes him a second to catch his breath, to shake off the sting of pain.]
That's not a bad trick. [Master of understatement. Oh my god, they're both so dumb. The hat is even entirely forgotten, at this point.
Anyway, he's not at the point where he needs a heal spell yet, but Yu can feel himself getting a little more tired with each use of magic. His SP has its limits, after all. So he takes a break, instead charging forward with a sweeping strike of his sword.]
no subject
[ shotlocks were the best actually. a tendril of darkness curls around his arm, still, and he shakes it away in time to meet yu's blade with the flat of braveheart's side - the peal of sound the metal meeting gives off is a little painful on the ears. his arms still feel almost sunburnt from the light spell, and he winces as he pushes back to bear down on the thinner katana.
sure, sword combat seemed fair. his own mp hadn't quite hit recharge, but he wanted to save a little in case a cure spell was needed rather than be caught out taking a major blow with no recovery available.
he rotates his keyblade in his hand, meeting the edge of yu's katana and trying to lock it in one of the divots braveheart sported along its own edge. his footwork is solid, braced to move - but he's goading again, challenging smile on his face. incredibly stupid. ]
Swordplay's alright, too. You've been through some stuff, huh?
no subject
Metal scrapes metal as Riku twists the keyblade; Yu's katana catches on the divot, but he pulls back before the blade can get too stuck, taking an extra step back --his footwork is not so solid-- from the force of it.
They're both being incredibly stupid, really, but they seem like they're having fun? One thing that can be gleaned from Yu's stance is that it's much less practiced than his attitude seems to imply. Almost as if he's learned most of what he knows from experience, rather than being taught.]
I could say the same for you, [said with a flicker of smile as he moves forward again, aiming low with his sword this time.]
no subject
Yeah, you could.
[ they're definitely having some idiotic sort of fun, though. riku echoes yu's smile even as he gets his leg clipped by the tip of yu's sword, a little hiss of pain following as he steps back. he's quick, despite his less trained form, and riku had admittedly underestimated the length of the blade.
well, that was an excuse to maybe show off a little now, right. he doesn't pause to reposition, instead flashing a smirk as he briefly blinks out of sight and ends up to yu's right, keyblade already swinging forward in a sweeping motion. ]
no subject
...!
[--and it genuinely catches him off-guard.
He works on the most basic of his fighting instincts, quickly summoning the card for Atavaka. The Persona doesn't do anything yet, but his affinity for physical attacks does come in handy. Riku's blade hits Yu, palpably, sweeping right across his chest. But even though it knocks him back substantially, Atavaka blocks any damage he might have taken from the hit. It takes him a moment to catch his breath.]
... I have to admit, that was impressive.
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probably for the best, but a mote of irritation crosses his thoughts regardless. ]
Thanks, but... hey, are you cheating or something?
[ he gestures vaguely at yu's intact form with braveheart. maybe a barrier spell? there'd been that card appearing, but it hadn't seemed like any magic had been cast. ]
no subject
[He summons Atavaka one more time in a similar fashion, but doesn't cast a spell. Maybe it's a bad move to show his cards, so to speak, but Riku is enough of an impressive opponent that he knows when to call the match. Could he keep going like a cheat? Sure, it's basically how he survived the TV world. But it's not worth it for a friendly match like this.] This Persona blocks physical attacks. They may connect, but they don't hurt.
[At least he didn't go for Rangda. Repelling attacks would bring this to a whole new level.]
That's probably enough to disqualify me, so I think that means you win.
[He holds out the witch hat like a peace offering.]