Closed Yardwork [Moritz]

[Caspian]

x

For some reason it comes off as a bit of a shock, the idea that he might actually be punching Moritz. When he had trained with his daggers when he was younger, his stepfather for the most part had him use wooden dummies for his opponents. There’s something much more comforting about attacking the inanimate, and far less reason to be self-conscious. On wooden dummies there aren’t eyes to blink and stare at you, for one, which are things Moritz has; they also don’t have mouths from which words come out. And Moritz, as he’s always known, has his fair share. Still, the brusque observations Moritz makes don’t offend him; as is so often, the Kelvic, though he doesn’t have a very good bedside manner, technically isn’t wrong.

He hesitates very visibly and feels the weight of Moritz’s gaze on him. Though he hasn’t even made another attempt at punching yet, he can sense another red heat rising across his face. Stifling a reflexive objection to the idea - it makes no sense to argue with the suggestion; this is categorically what sparring is, and it would be silly to walk away without doing this - he closes some of the distance between him and Moritz. There’s about a couple steps’ distance between them now.

He realizes the remaining space between them are because he prematurely paused, despite the instructions he was given.

Sighing, he tries yet again to set aside his embarrassment at what he knows will be another collection of future failures.

“Alright, then,” he suddenly declares, more jovially than he actually feels. Best to just throw himself into this while he still can.

Close the distance - plant - swing. He repeats the steps Moritz had listed in his mind.

Taking two steps forward, he ends in the stance Moritz had painstakingly adjusted him into. With his right arm, he punches as he was told, aiming for - he stutters a bit again in mid air. Perhaps what’s to be blamed is he’s thinking far too hard about it. Keeping everything Moritz had taught him in mind about the punch itself, and the stance he should be in, all that had already been a considerable amount of detail - but the mantra, though it just been three simple steps, has him right at or tipping over his capacity.

More than likely it doesn’t land, and Moritz dodges; but Moritz had given him yet one more step of instruction, which he remembers a little too belatedly; there’s an awkward pause where he’s staring at Moritz after the first punch, and he’s standing and doing nothing. And then he remembers he had to go again.

Whatever distance Moritz created between with a dodge, he crosses it; plants both his feet in what he hopes is the correct position ; swings his right fist at Moritz’s side again. Tries, at least, to move harder and more swiftly this time, to make up for the unusual pause.

He has no idea what Moritz will do, as the Kelvic had not made any promises, at least not the kind that put his mind at ease.

x

[Moritz Craven]

Feeling like the lesson was nearing its end, Moritz wondered how long the two of them had been at it. He himself was not really feeling tired, but then he had not overly been exerting himself... But he was unsure how tired Caspian was. This did not necessarily mean it had been a short lesson, just that he had not physically strained himself for long during it, instead walking around and talking and making adjustments that did not tire him. Regardless having a bit of experience with such things he knew it was a good idea to not throw too much at a person at once, and so would leave any further topics to a second lesson.

Still, even from such a short time Moritz could see the man had gotten a bit of a grasp of the topics he was showing and had gotten a bit better at fighting without a weapon.

Watching silently Moritz waited, seeing Caspian come at him. If nothing else he was trying, but even without his Evantia activated he could see the mans blow coming as easily as if it was written on the air itself. Of course Moritz knew that to a more skilled fighter his own moves were just as obvious, and that back when he began his moves had been just as unsubtle. Seeing his form he nodded, waiting until he drew close. And then just as he had instructed he dug in, pivoted of sorts, and swung his punch. Not quite right, but better than when they began. Dancing backward Moritz made some room with a skipping motion, easily dodging the attack that came first.

"Don't forget to follow through. Punch into something, don't stop when you think you are going to hit me. Even if I stood still and you hit me, that was a half hearted blow at best."

With his comment put out there Moritz waited, giving Caspian time to recover and make his second attempt. Thinking on it this time Moritz decided to actually strain himself a bit this time, and to perhaps show Caspian some real combat skills. His own were relatively simple, but perhaps that was all the better since it would be easier for Caspian to try and recreate or use them as compared to some complex attack or combination that he had no ability at all to understand let alone repeat. With that in mind he tried to think on what all he had shown the man, what all he had said, and what all would be a good expansion on what had come before... Not a punch certainly, the thing they had been focusing on, or at least not just a punch...

After a few moments Caspian moved again, coming at Moritz with a second punch. This time it was a bit better, a bit faster and with a bit more follow through, though still not perfect. But better, which was all he was aiming for just now.

Waiting until Caspian was almost upon him, Moritz finally began to move as his punch was already moving and could not be easily changed. He was committed to the motion, and that was what he would use against him.

Sidestepping a bit Moritz moved to the side and then forward, coming in along the side of the punch. Using his one hand he aimed for Caspians arm, trying to push it aside and then grapple it, which if it worked would put him in a good position for the next step. If it did not, well he was already out of the way of the punch and along Caspians guard, so it would be tricky for the man to do much of anything in response. But he did not stop there, bringing to life a comment he had made earlier by aiming a kick at the back of one of Caspians legs.

His aim him was to knock the man down. And he knew from experience that being kicked in the back of the knew made ones leg collapse upon itself. With that plus his upsetted footing from his punch, and if possible him yanking with his hand if his grapple had worked, he figured it would be enough to leave the man flat on the ground in a heap.

Either way once his move was done, whether it worked or not, he would move back to make it clear he was not going to attack again, and waited to give Caspian time to recover. Once he did Moritz would eye the man, before looking up.

"Well, we have been at it awhile, probably a good stopping point. Plus, I don't want to shove too many things into your head all at once, and end up with you confused. Probably a good place to let you think over what I said. Ah though, best to keep practicing that punch, each day if you have the time. Just think of it as simple punching drills to get the form down. Though I suppose if you like we could meet again, once you've had a chance to rest and mull over things."

WC: 857

[Caspian]

x

Truth be told, Caspian is feeling a bit frazzled. The staticky state of mind doesn’t come from a bad place; he’s not a cornered animal, and he’s doing this with someone who – though the person in question might, with their usual blunt-headedness, deny the designation – he considers more than an acquaintance, and something on the road towards friend. The repeated punches into the air, and towards Moritz, are quantifiably depleting his energy; but it’s not just that. It’s the tension in which he’s been holding his body since last night, when Taalviel had persistently jeered at him and reminded him that the older he gets, the more difficult it is to get over a broken bone. All of this is reminiscent to him of learning how to play a musical instrument. The fiddle is a notoriously difficult instrument to pick up, and the angles at which one has to crook each joint and wrist and finger feel decidedly unnatural, and to contort one’s body into unknown positions is rife for creating stiffness. Thankfully sparring isn’t about conforming oneself into unusual micro movements; after observing Moritz and going through the emotions so many times himself, he can see how one would naturally see fighting as a collection of holistic actions.

For some reason – and yes, it’s not helping with how unimpressive he’s made himself ought to be here – he’s rather startled when Moritz hooks onto his arm. The fluidity reminds him of those odd, many-tentacled creatures he’d seen brought back by the fishermen in Zeltiva’s bay, which allegedly one could grill and eat.

But then Moritz knocks his leg out from under him, and he ends up on the ground in a state of mild shock.

“Oh, you overgrown scoundrel,” Caspian exclaims when he gets the breath back into his lungs, but it’s half a laugh and with no anger in the slightest. Hyper aware that he’s got his face and too much of his bare skin pressed against Sunberth soil – if one can even call the murk that – he hastily gets back onto his feet. “Bless you, seriously, that was rather good.” He brushes the dust off his clothes. “And yes, I agree, I think this is quite a lot to go on. I’ll sleep on it, if you will.”

Now – how much is his back going to hurt tomorrow?

“Oh, I meant to add,” Caspian says, nodding towards the other equipment Moritz had brought with him. “I wouldn’t mind having a go with those sometime in the future, if you’re up for it. I just thought – well, you know.” With a half-smile, he holds up his fists. “Ought to prepare, first, for the worst. Anyway! I’ll let you know when I’ve got time again for another round, will try and send a more sanitary miscreant to you with the details. I live in the Sunset Quarters, by the way. I appreciate what you’ve done for me here, so – if you ever need anything. Come find me.”

Gathering his things, he listens to anything Moritz has to say. Trying his best to mask what feels like a limp, he waves goodbye and heads back home.

x

[Moritz Craven]

Grade Award!

Name: Caspian
XP Award:
Endurance 1
Observation 1
Logic 2
Negotiation 1
Persuasion 3
Philosophy 1
Planning 1
Rhetoric 3
Socialization 1
Storytelling 1
Unarmed Combat 5
Lores:
Paying a child to deliver a message
Planning: Making plans in case things go wrong
Weighing the pros and cons of physical versus emotional pain
Unarmed Combat: The trickiness of making a proper punch
Unarmed Combat: Dodging is best
Unarmed Combat: If you can't dodge either parry or take the hit right
Unarmed Combat: Taking a simple ready position
Unarmed Combat: A Good punch uses your entire body
Unarmed Combat: A punch must be altered for your target
Unarmed Combat: Punching a face with a bare hand is a bad idea
Moritz: Much bigger and denser than Caspian
Philosphy: The difference between accepting and giving in
Unarmed Combat: Choosing where to be hit
Acrobatics: Rolling with a punch to lessen the blow
Unarmed Combat: Technique of rotating your body into making a punch
Penalties & Awards: Don't forget to add the 1 cm cost of a bribe to your ledge, from the first post of the thread.

Notes: An interesting read, honestly had forgotten a lot about this thread and in reeading it now noticed several quirks in both of the PC's.
-Regarding your word tense watch out, you have a habit of switching from past tense to present tense, and writing here should be in the third person past tense as if your telling about something that happened in the past to someone else.

---

Name: Moritz Craven
XP Award:
Acrobatics 2
Land Navigation 1
Logic 1
Persuasion 4
Philosophy 1
Planning 1
Rhetoric 3
Socialization 1
Tactics 1
Teaching 5
Unarmed Combat 2
Lores:
Coworkers think Moritz doesn't have any friends
Land Navigation: Finding a new spot using a vague map and directions
Relief of meeting a friend rather than falling into a trap
Teaching: Beginning a lesson by gauging your students starting point
Caspian: Easily knockover-able
Caspian: Open to taking advice in training
Teaching: Importance of focusing on the lesson
Caspain: Doesn't like being touched
Teaching: Changing a lesson to address a question
Caspian: Lives in Sunset Quarters
Caspian: Willing to help if needed
Penalties & Awards: N/A

Notes: Its weird rereading something months later, and seeing so many things in your own and another s writing you missed before!