[flashback] Fighting Blind (Rand and Stitch) (Finished)

[Rand]

Rand beamed at Stitch as he watched his opponents movments mimic his own from earlier. He moved back keeping his body and his arms up to deflect Stitches blows. The movments were much more natural for Rand, of course this is what he had some training in, so he felt it only fitting to teach Stitch some as he fought.

Very good you pick up quickly. However, the jab, which is the primary punch of boxing is not actually meant for the hit. It is meant to set up the hook or cross, or even an upercut

With his final words Rand sidestepped Stitches punch and returned with a 1-2 jab of his own then threw a right cross for effect. the punch was slow and meant for Stitch to dodge. As Rand came back into his own stance he moved forward keeping his head bobbing to to make it a harder target.

His body was starting to show the signs of the training. His body was gleamng with sweat, for the workout. It was harder to keep his breath even and slow. It was beginning to get a little ragged and Rand had to force himself to take long even breaths through his nose in order to not expose the weak point of his jaw. All of his efforts were becoming more concentrated.

He moved back into the action pressing forward again. His head moving his body in tight. Jab jab, jab, hook step left to avoid the counter, jab hook jab to keep him at bay. The moves flowed out of Rand's hands his body moving. But, his arms were getting heavy, blocking Stitches punches were taking their toll and his arms were beginning to feel as if bricks were tied to them. Still Rand pushed on, he was in his zone, willing to go till exhaustion stopped him.

[Stitch]

Stitch wasn't too horribly shocked to see his weak jabs deflected. It was hard to throw continuous punches like Rand did, and manage to focus enough on each one to put any kind of power behind it. He could already admire the man for setting up a flurry of punches that had a good amount of force behind them. He could admire him even more for being able to switch punches on the fly, and still retain a good amount of power. Stitch was not skilled enough to throw multiple, powerful punches. He was simply skilled enough to dodge and block, then execute a single powerful blow as a counterattack, of sorts. That was easily the reason why Rand had been able to block Stitch's blows like they were nothing. The man was trained to throw powerful punches, and block powerful punches. Stitch simply was not.

He faintly heard Rand's own explanation, and nodded, understanding. He was trying to hit Rand with the wrong punch, too.

Rand pressed forward, and Stitch found himself on the defensive, constantly dancing backwards to avoid the blows. Every now and then, a hook would dance in, and Stitch would have to deflect it, not allowing him time to throw his own blow. That, and every time it looked like he had an opening, Rand's head would bob away. The moving target Rand was providing, plus the unending blows, they had put Stitch on a permenant defensive. Trying to best to keep up with the boxer, he could hear himself starting to breath hard, and realized he was running out of fuel once more. Getting a bit panicked, he once more looked for an opening, but barely had time to even consider his options before more punches came flying in. This wasn't good. Could he catch one of the punches, and throw the man again? Rand had recovered well last time, and had managed to almost bring Stitch down with him. Stitch didn't want to get too close, or locked up with the man, where the skilled sailor could pummel him with sharp blows. Grimacing, he took another step back, and felt the back of his foot touch to the wall.

Now or never.

He suddenly flung himself off the wall, straight forward, right into another flurry of blows. He caught one, deflecting it at the wrist and then snagging it, and took the other one on his raised shoulder. He had put the shoulder up to block, and flashes of pain ran through it as it accomplished its job. He had gotten the idea from Rand's form of boxing. He kept his chin tucked in, and shoulder up, to avoid blows to the face. He also aimed for the face. Stitch had tried his own defense against him, and it had worked, for now. Pressing the advantage, Stitch struck with the same arm he had blocked with, simply snapping it out in a straight jab at the chin. Hoping to stun the man, if only for a moment, Stitch dropped low, crouching, and dealt out what could possibly be the final blow. Bringing both hands down with him, he tucked them both back, and then shot them out in a double palm strike. The heels of the hands were together, and he threw them together, aiming to smash Rand in the stomach.

He fired them off with the best technique he could. He tucked them back, then fired them forward, allowing his arms to twist a bit to add some torque. To add even more, he had twisted back at the waist, then twisted forward when delivering the blow. Then, the final step, stay relaxed until point of impact.

Sweat beaded his brow, dripping down into his dark black eyes. Whatever the case, this had been an excellent match.

[Rand]

Rand felt confident as he pressed the action, true his only point had been a fluke, but he had the upper hand now, plus Stitch was beginning to look tired as well. As Rand moved forward he noticed that the wall was fast approaching. Perfect, he thought he could use it like the ropes of a ring and corner Stitch. Then his movement and defense would be useless against his close range attacks. Rand scooted forward at double time his smile growing with each strike. This was it, he would win, he was confident in his own abilities as he moved forward.

Stitches foot hit the wall. Match over friend, I've got you now Rand smiled at Stitch as he said the words, then he quickly ate them. Instead of defending like he had thought Stitch would, he attacked. Rand took a step backwards and his foot rolled under a small toy. The small distraction was all that it took to change the tide. Stitches jab hit him square in the chin. He head absorbed the not to strong blow, but stunned him momentarily as Stitch moved into the second strike. The palm strike hit full force in his sternum. sending Rand backwards and doubling over.

As he gasped catching his breath he laughed a little. This man had in the end beaten him, out of his element and gassed Rand slowly came to his feet and shuffled over to Stitch. He extended his hand as was customary.
Good match friend, well done, truly exceptional. But you know i think that old sea man was still the meanest man I ever met. Well, maybe except for those mates of mine from the ship... Rand trailed off, the adrenaline and focus of fighting was fading and his usual eccentric self. He took his hand out of Stitches then went to the charms around his neck, he kissed them unconsiously.
thank you mother for being with me on this day, and helping find this friend. Rand said lowly to himself. As he put the charms back he looked at Stitch again.

Well.....what do we do now?....

[Stitch]

Stitch stumbled back as the blow made contact, finally able to take a deep breath now that the match was over. Bending over, he rested his hands on his knees, gulping in the air. He didn't realize how tired he actually was until the thrill of the match had worn off, and now all the exhaustion was crashing down. His arms ached from all the jabs he had thrown, and they weren't even half the number that Rand had managed to throw. How did the boxer do it? Stitch obviously had a long way to go, and was happy that he had managed to pull off the win. Part of him was wondering if he had just won because Rand had stepped on the toy, or if had been because of his skill. How long would his stamina have lasted against the fistfighter? Gulping in one last breath of air, he shook his head, pushing the thought to the back of his mind. It was a good match, and they had both learned much. Stitch had managed to try out a little boxing, and attempt some meditation, and he had taught Rand how to throw proper punches. The man had picked up on the proper form quite quickly, and Stitch was happy that he had managed to gift the man with some new strength.

He was just in time to return the man's handshake, and he did so happily. Gripping the hand firmly, he gave it a solid shake. Rand released his hand, and Stitch resisted the urge to move forward and give the sailor a hug, thinking it might be a little too forward. Instead, he simply stood there, smiling brightly at the man and awaiting his next move. He took some time to breath again, feeling the ache of the fight in his muscles. How must Rand feel, after throwing all of those punches?

"Why don't you stay here for tonight, milord?" Stitch cocked his head to the side, offering the option to Rand. It was still pouring outside, it was late, and Stitch could use some company anyways. He could tell the man was tired, and he thought the sailor might appreciate the offer. "You are welcome to stay with this one until it is time for milord to leave. Milord is here on a business trip? This one doesn't remember if he ever asked, but this one knows he hasn't seen you around town before."

He motioned for Rand to follow him, showing him up the stairs and to the empty bedrooms upstairs.

[Rand]

Rand realized just how exhausted he was as he moved up the stairs. His legs burned, and the slow deep burn was forming in his arms from overexertion, he was going to be sore in the morning for sure. His steps were slow and diliberate as he followed the fellow youngster up the stairs. Rand already felt the slow creeping hand of sleep coming over him.

Rand held back a yawn as he moved further up the stairs, he didnt want to sleep, however he didnt know if he would be able to stay awake much longer. Friend i do not mean to be so rude, but I cannot keep my eyes open. the land of dreams calls my name, and I must answer. You were magnificent in training. And, I can cannot thank you enough, for the priveledge.

Rand faded off into his head at this point. His mind wandering back to his mother, and his job. This filled him with sadness; he liked the young man here, but he did not like the men he worked with. Rand fingered the charms around his neck as he opened the door to the room and entered.

My friend I thank you with all my heart I will see you in the morning Rand thought on his words as he began to prepare for sleep. Friend....It had rolled so easily off of his tongue, how strange, yet exciting! What could happen? Rand felt exilarated as he laid down, his eyes growing heavy with each passing second.

[Harlequill]

Weighing in... XP Awarded Character: Rand Experience: 5xp Martial Arts, 1xp Teaching Lore: The Welcome Home (Syliras), Stitch's Fighting Style (poor), Boxing Techniques Character: Stitch Experience: 5xp Martial Arts, 3xp Teaching, 2xp Meditation Lore: Taking a Punch, The Basics of Boxing Further notes: You both described your respective martial arts very clearly (in spite of the occasional typo, which is unavoidable). As someone who neither boxes or performs Stitch's particular brand of martial arts I found myself able to clearly follow the action and understand the principles behind it. Great sparring scene from both of you. Well earned XP. (Rand, you may want to find a frame for your posts if you plan to continue using blue for your dialogue. I found it distracting and hard to read.)