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An Officer and a Gentleman

Started by Lion, May 17, 2017, 10:37:09 PM

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Lion

Roland had to laugh. This time for sure, that had to be a joke. Why? Because no one could be that dense, well except for some farm boy named Roland Mercer. As for this Mordecai, well, while she was busy just pounding away at that practice dummy, Roland sobered long enough to admire her.

"What I meant was not a one on one, but an actual lesson, Mordecai Lowe. Can you do that much? No one else but us will have to know."




Like to kill mages?  Join the Order!
The Order of St. Agratha

Help Rebuild Connlaoth from the ashes of war!
The Red Legion

Jump in the water's fine!
Desert Valley Nights
Wrong Turn

"Go into battle determined to die and you will survive.  Go into battle hoping to live and surely you shall not." -Bushido proverb
"Life is a series of dogs." -George Carlin
"We must view with profound respect the infinite capacity of the human mind to resist the introduction of useful knowledge." -Thomas R. Lounsbury
"If a cosmic tree falls in the universal forest and nobody is evolved enough to hear it, does it make a sound?" -Unknown

GoblinFae

The Mordecai eyed him stoically for several moments before lowering her blade and quietly putting it aside. Looking at him expectantly she motioned him closer impatiently. "Well don't just stand there, come here! Do you expect to learn from a distance?"
,___,
[O.o]
/)__)
-"--"-


"No Pride For Some of Us Without Liberation For All of Us"
~ Micah Bazant ~

Spoiler
Leaderships
Tirial Province (Serendipity)

Talu Territory (Adela)

Ninja Flamingos

Guilds - Under Construction and Revamping
Blood of Ash || Cleara Verdad || The Creoptera || The Reaper's Chalice || The Runner's Society || Vigilant Shadows

Characters
Agapito Perlaceo Calogero-Marcello da Lume || Ainsley Muir || Alanna Mercer "The Lioness" || Amleah Dvorak || Ariel "Owlet" Sowa || Artorius Winterbottom || Aurora "Makani'kai" Wiater || Autumn Laurel || The Bad Barkers || Benjamin Hase || Cally Foster || Cornelia Grey || Dagrun Baarda || Derrick Elthif || Donovan Cabello || Eireann Lehr || Elmira Sassafrass || Emma Fiore || Emyr Kasabian || Ferra Bestley || Fintan Kfir || Gilroy Bleddyn || Hanalei Keets || Hilarius Winterbottom || Imogene Khale || Incana Winged Blaze || Inteus Wapapow || Iorwerth/Ylli || Ithel Conlaoch || Justina Allons || Jypsei Danzer || Kailee Glint || Kaliko || Keegan Phillips || Kendall Wendle || Kenneth Kent || Kesrel Torv || Kharn Segal || Kirsikka Solvi || Ladybird "Petal" Hornwort || Lassassasya Ashaugh Seocss || Logan "Kotori" || Lorcan Dempsey || Malakai || Margot Lemaire || Maverick Alinari || Morgan Loone || Naomi Kita || Navarre Esken || Ocarern Farwind || Oddmund Greatdrool || Oliver Cabello || Pannoowau || Peregrine Liebling || Primrose Dragoslav || Pyske Daas || Qaletaqa || Quilla Anobe || Rene Zephra || Riley "Minnow" Bellerose || Ro'or Dvorak || Rosie || Rowan Alvar || Rylan Silvanus || Segari "Errum" Ggorf || Shamira Kashi || Solanacae || Sor Avi || Squeaker || Starbright Skye ||  Tiraris Silverd'art || Tighearnán High Eoforwine || Theodore Archer || Tyler Brice || Una Ornell || Vanora Partholon || Waman Pertinacity Sewati || Weilen Brunbek || Wilbur "Wilby" Smalls || Yalwa al-Kahinah || Yasmine Fairchild || Yura Elek || Zhirai Ver || Zurna Nali
[close]

Lion

Roland grinned ear to ear. He couldn't help himself what with the sheer irritation she expressed and directed him to stand closer to her. He tried to force the smile off his face however when he put both feet in front of her, standing close enough to look into her eyes, seeing the way they glinted in the dark.

That sword, so close and thirsty for blood, for flesh. She wasn't here to play games, and to treat this as little more than excursion into play would do them both a disservice.  Roland Mercer swallowed hard instead and readied himself by bowing his head to her, honoring her as his opponent.

"Ok, I'm ready to learn," he said, his visage turning serious for that time and he met her gaze again, filled with nothing short of respect. "I don't care how many times you throw me to the ground, I want to learn from the best. Now, how do we start?"




Like to kill mages?  Join the Order!
The Order of St. Agratha

Help Rebuild Connlaoth from the ashes of war!
The Red Legion

Jump in the water's fine!
Desert Valley Nights
Wrong Turn

"Go into battle determined to die and you will survive.  Go into battle hoping to live and surely you shall not." -Bushido proverb
"Life is a series of dogs." -George Carlin
"We must view with profound respect the infinite capacity of the human mind to resist the introduction of useful knowledge." -Thomas R. Lounsbury
"If a cosmic tree falls in the universal forest and nobody is evolved enough to hear it, does it make a sound?" -Unknown

GoblinFae

Her chest expanded largely with a deep sigh as her chin raised just so to meet his taller gaze. The boy was damn near grinning like cheshire cat at her and she hated it. She hated the cockiness she saw in his stance, the surety, the belief that he could ever win. Alanna hated men like him, had worked so hard to tear men like this boy up and down until they could not stand and then beaten them down that much more out of spite.

His words were ones she had heard a thousand times before from so many other mouths. She was all but deaf to them at this point. However, there was something about him that made her consider him perhaps a moment longer than she would have any of the men that had come before him or those that would come after him. The fox's grin faded and was replaced by a visage of determination.

He was respectful and at least for the moment, showing a true, genuine willingness to learn. For that, Alanna could not refuse him. As much as she had grown to hate the men who took pleasure in belittling her during her own training for being of the weaker sex, she was not about to let that cloud her sense of duty to this boy now. He was here to train, so she would train him to the best of her ability. What he made of it afterwards was on him.

"Show me your fighting stance," she ordered suddenly, waiting only long enough for him to assume it before striking and shoving at all his weak and exposed areas. Each imbalance, each failure to protect himself was met with a terse explanation of his failure before she would have another go at him. Each failure was exploited. Each success gave rise to a new vulnerability exposed. Without repetition, there was no learning and Alanna was not about to waste her own training time on a student who was unwilling to weather her temper and her criticism because she had bruised his pride and his bum.
,___,
[O.o]
/)__)
-"--"-


"No Pride For Some of Us Without Liberation For All of Us"
~ Micah Bazant ~

Spoiler
Leaderships
Tirial Province (Serendipity)

Talu Territory (Adela)

Ninja Flamingos

Guilds - Under Construction and Revamping
Blood of Ash || Cleara Verdad || The Creoptera || The Reaper's Chalice || The Runner's Society || Vigilant Shadows

Characters
Agapito Perlaceo Calogero-Marcello da Lume || Ainsley Muir || Alanna Mercer "The Lioness" || Amleah Dvorak || Ariel "Owlet" Sowa || Artorius Winterbottom || Aurora "Makani'kai" Wiater || Autumn Laurel || The Bad Barkers || Benjamin Hase || Cally Foster || Cornelia Grey || Dagrun Baarda || Derrick Elthif || Donovan Cabello || Eireann Lehr || Elmira Sassafrass || Emma Fiore || Emyr Kasabian || Ferra Bestley || Fintan Kfir || Gilroy Bleddyn || Hanalei Keets || Hilarius Winterbottom || Imogene Khale || Incana Winged Blaze || Inteus Wapapow || Iorwerth/Ylli || Ithel Conlaoch || Justina Allons || Jypsei Danzer || Kailee Glint || Kaliko || Keegan Phillips || Kendall Wendle || Kenneth Kent || Kesrel Torv || Kharn Segal || Kirsikka Solvi || Ladybird "Petal" Hornwort || Lassassasya Ashaugh Seocss || Logan "Kotori" || Lorcan Dempsey || Malakai || Margot Lemaire || Maverick Alinari || Morgan Loone || Naomi Kita || Navarre Esken || Ocarern Farwind || Oddmund Greatdrool || Oliver Cabello || Pannoowau || Peregrine Liebling || Primrose Dragoslav || Pyske Daas || Qaletaqa || Quilla Anobe || Rene Zephra || Riley "Minnow" Bellerose || Ro'or Dvorak || Rosie || Rowan Alvar || Rylan Silvanus || Segari "Errum" Ggorf || Shamira Kashi || Solanacae || Sor Avi || Squeaker || Starbright Skye ||  Tiraris Silverd'art || Tighearnán High Eoforwine || Theodore Archer || Tyler Brice || Una Ornell || Vanora Partholon || Waman Pertinacity Sewati || Weilen Brunbek || Wilbur "Wilby" Smalls || Yalwa al-Kahinah || Yasmine Fairchild || Yura Elek || Zhirai Ver || Zurna Nali
[close]

Lion

Roland had a distinct feeling that he was somehow going to regret this. Because the look on her face was already fully prepared to make him eat dirt, and enjoy doing it. He asked her, sure, he was getting on her nerves. But this was a rare opportunity to actually make something of himself when he came here to serve. He wanted to be a Mordecai, and instead of treating the moment with a sense of mockery, he buckled down into the stance he knew best and prepped himself for the beat down he was about to receive.

Again and again and again, his back slammed into the ground, his joints were locked, and his blows were dodged or the momentum used against him. Roland was out of breath and sweaty, his shirt clinging to him, his hair matted into a fine layer on his forehead. And while from an outward stance it seemed like he was just getting his ass kicked.

And they'd be right.

Roland's breath came in sharp, heavy waves as he pushed himself off the ground his back already throbbing and he paid attention to where she'd shown him his failures, and mimicked how she'd defended against them to change the field of battle. There was no right or wrong way to counter, and each punch thrown was an opportunity gained by the opponent to overcome, overthrow, or dismantle if they knew the technique.

Roland was tired and in his exhaustion he knew it was only going to be a matter of time before she put him down for the rest of the night. Roland saw an opening and he took it, his fist circumvented her guard and smacked her hard into the ribs. Eyes wide like saucers, Roland cackled. "Ha! ahahah!" And before he knew his back hit the ground for the last time, the wind knocked out of him and he was left gasping for breath.

The laughter was intermingled with groans of pain, radiating up into his shoulders and subsequently rattling into his skull. "Okay that was fun" he admitted, once he'd regained some semblance of breath. "So we should set up some regular sparring sessions. Same time tomorrow?"




Like to kill mages?  Join the Order!
The Order of St. Agratha

Help Rebuild Connlaoth from the ashes of war!
The Red Legion

Jump in the water's fine!
Desert Valley Nights
Wrong Turn

"Go into battle determined to die and you will survive.  Go into battle hoping to live and surely you shall not." -Bushido proverb
"Life is a series of dogs." -George Carlin
"We must view with profound respect the infinite capacity of the human mind to resist the introduction of useful knowledge." -Thomas R. Lounsbury
"If a cosmic tree falls in the universal forest and nobody is evolved enough to hear it, does it make a sound?" -Unknown

GoblinFae

She'd whipped him thoroughly again and again over the coming weeks and yet time after time without fail he was back for another beating. Roland improved and Alanna privately grew to enjoy their private sparring. He was a challenge for her to whale repeatedly and mercilessly on time and time again in hopes that he would finally give up.

Instead it seemed she only managed to knock what common sense he had left straight out of his brain as he came bouncing back as eager as a puppy seeing his master each day. Bit by bit though, Alanna begrudgingly did notice his improvement. Not, of course that she ever admitted it. For each successful block or parry he made, she upped the ante and broke him down again with a new trick.

"Enough!" Alanna barked after having knocked him off his feet again. Sweat poured from her brow and soaked the back and pits of her tunic beneath her protective leather jerkin. Her cheeks were flushed nearly as red as her mane of hair that clung to her neck and face. "If I whip your ass anymore there won't be anything of you left."
,___,
[O.o]
/)__)
-"--"-


"No Pride For Some of Us Without Liberation For All of Us"
~ Micah Bazant ~

Spoiler
Leaderships
Tirial Province (Serendipity)

Talu Territory (Adela)

Ninja Flamingos

Guilds - Under Construction and Revamping
Blood of Ash || Cleara Verdad || The Creoptera || The Reaper's Chalice || The Runner's Society || Vigilant Shadows

Characters
Agapito Perlaceo Calogero-Marcello da Lume || Ainsley Muir || Alanna Mercer "The Lioness" || Amleah Dvorak || Ariel "Owlet" Sowa || Artorius Winterbottom || Aurora "Makani'kai" Wiater || Autumn Laurel || The Bad Barkers || Benjamin Hase || Cally Foster || Cornelia Grey || Dagrun Baarda || Derrick Elthif || Donovan Cabello || Eireann Lehr || Elmira Sassafrass || Emma Fiore || Emyr Kasabian || Ferra Bestley || Fintan Kfir || Gilroy Bleddyn || Hanalei Keets || Hilarius Winterbottom || Imogene Khale || Incana Winged Blaze || Inteus Wapapow || Iorwerth/Ylli || Ithel Conlaoch || Justina Allons || Jypsei Danzer || Kailee Glint || Kaliko || Keegan Phillips || Kendall Wendle || Kenneth Kent || Kesrel Torv || Kharn Segal || Kirsikka Solvi || Ladybird "Petal" Hornwort || Lassassasya Ashaugh Seocss || Logan "Kotori" || Lorcan Dempsey || Malakai || Margot Lemaire || Maverick Alinari || Morgan Loone || Naomi Kita || Navarre Esken || Ocarern Farwind || Oddmund Greatdrool || Oliver Cabello || Pannoowau || Peregrine Liebling || Primrose Dragoslav || Pyske Daas || Qaletaqa || Quilla Anobe || Rene Zephra || Riley "Minnow" Bellerose || Ro'or Dvorak || Rosie || Rowan Alvar || Rylan Silvanus || Segari "Errum" Ggorf || Shamira Kashi || Solanacae || Sor Avi || Squeaker || Starbright Skye ||  Tiraris Silverd'art || Tighearnán High Eoforwine || Theodore Archer || Tyler Brice || Una Ornell || Vanora Partholon || Waman Pertinacity Sewati || Weilen Brunbek || Wilbur "Wilby" Smalls || Yalwa al-Kahinah || Yasmine Fairchild || Yura Elek || Zhirai Ver || Zurna Nali
[close]

Lion

Roland knew it was basically like beating a dead horse. Not that he beat one before. But it was an old adage that seemed to fit the current state of things. He was whipped, kept coming back for more, only to be whipped again and again.

But unlike a dead horse, he paid close attention to each beating like his life depended on it. These sparring sessions had forced him to re-examine his work ethic. Now he slept less but deeper, worked his muscles deeply and thoroughly, boxed solo when he had brief moments to himself. All in the purpose to better himself versus who he was yesterday.

He didn't want to *beat* Alanna. He wanted to beat Roland, the farm boy that wanted to be a soldier. And everyday, every week, that shadow was chipped away.

So he lay there on the ground, panting heavily up at her, and couldn't hold back his grin.

"Have drinks with me," he said, looking up at her and admiring the way her sweaty hair framed her face. "You're dashing in the moonlight."




Like to kill mages?  Join the Order!
The Order of St. Agratha

Help Rebuild Connlaoth from the ashes of war!
The Red Legion

Jump in the water's fine!
Desert Valley Nights
Wrong Turn

"Go into battle determined to die and you will survive.  Go into battle hoping to live and surely you shall not." -Bushido proverb
"Life is a series of dogs." -George Carlin
"We must view with profound respect the infinite capacity of the human mind to resist the introduction of useful knowledge." -Thomas R. Lounsbury
"If a cosmic tree falls in the universal forest and nobody is evolved enough to hear it, does it make a sound?" -Unknown

GoblinFae

Alanna rolled her eyes, even if only out of habit. Every week they went through this. They sparred, she taught, he learned, she struck, he fell, he tried to ask her out for a drink with him, she beat him all the harder the following week for it. And so the cycle began anew.

Yet...

"I look like a sow in heat and probably smell worse'n one. You certainly do."

She scrubbed the sweat off her face with her sleeve. "Go wash up soldier. You reek and you'll be late for curfew."
,___,
[O.o]
/)__)
-"--"-


"No Pride For Some of Us Without Liberation For All of Us"
~ Micah Bazant ~

Spoiler
Leaderships
Tirial Province (Serendipity)

Talu Territory (Adela)

Ninja Flamingos

Guilds - Under Construction and Revamping
Blood of Ash || Cleara Verdad || The Creoptera || The Reaper's Chalice || The Runner's Society || Vigilant Shadows

Characters
Agapito Perlaceo Calogero-Marcello da Lume || Ainsley Muir || Alanna Mercer "The Lioness" || Amleah Dvorak || Ariel "Owlet" Sowa || Artorius Winterbottom || Aurora "Makani'kai" Wiater || Autumn Laurel || The Bad Barkers || Benjamin Hase || Cally Foster || Cornelia Grey || Dagrun Baarda || Derrick Elthif || Donovan Cabello || Eireann Lehr || Elmira Sassafrass || Emma Fiore || Emyr Kasabian || Ferra Bestley || Fintan Kfir || Gilroy Bleddyn || Hanalei Keets || Hilarius Winterbottom || Imogene Khale || Incana Winged Blaze || Inteus Wapapow || Iorwerth/Ylli || Ithel Conlaoch || Justina Allons || Jypsei Danzer || Kailee Glint || Kaliko || Keegan Phillips || Kendall Wendle || Kenneth Kent || Kesrel Torv || Kharn Segal || Kirsikka Solvi || Ladybird "Petal" Hornwort || Lassassasya Ashaugh Seocss || Logan "Kotori" || Lorcan Dempsey || Malakai || Margot Lemaire || Maverick Alinari || Morgan Loone || Naomi Kita || Navarre Esken || Ocarern Farwind || Oddmund Greatdrool || Oliver Cabello || Pannoowau || Peregrine Liebling || Primrose Dragoslav || Pyske Daas || Qaletaqa || Quilla Anobe || Rene Zephra || Riley "Minnow" Bellerose || Ro'or Dvorak || Rosie || Rowan Alvar || Rylan Silvanus || Segari "Errum" Ggorf || Shamira Kashi || Solanacae || Sor Avi || Squeaker || Starbright Skye ||  Tiraris Silverd'art || Tighearnán High Eoforwine || Theodore Archer || Tyler Brice || Una Ornell || Vanora Partholon || Waman Pertinacity Sewati || Weilen Brunbek || Wilbur "Wilby" Smalls || Yalwa al-Kahinah || Yasmine Fairchild || Yura Elek || Zhirai Ver || Zurna Nali
[close]