2017-12-28: A Friendly Knife Fight

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  • Log: A Friendly Knife Fight
  • Cast: Josephine Lovelace, Lily Keil
  • Where: Wayside Village
  • Date: December 28th 2017
  • Summary: Lily and Josie go have a little friendly knife fight. Lily observes an academic in action. Josie complains about old weapons.

<Pose Tracker> Josephine Lovelace has posed.

"So, I've always wondered what they teach you in a military school," Josie had opened with, merely by way of conversation.

This is precisely how the two women have ended up in a friendly (yes, friendly) knife fight.

"I'm at a bit of a disadvantage, you know. You ever think about giving me a break?" the archaeologist complains goodnaturedly, eyeing the ex-soldier's blade as she shifts her grip on her knife.
Only to grin broadly a second later, as if in anticipation already of the respose. "Well, I figured it wouldn't hurt to ask."

This far out of town, they're unlikely to draw any unwelcome (or underage, as the case may be) eyes; sure, kids living out this side of Ignas have probably seen a knife fight before, but, Josie prefers her privacy.
Besides, 'Sunshine' might frown or something.

She eases her stance back a step or so. "...So, gella for your thoughts?" She jerks her head to one side, as if they weren't in the middle of a little light martial practice. "You're the big 'expert' on the Zeboim language, anyway."

<Pose Tracker> Lily Keil has posed.

A friendly knife fight it is, out here enough out of town. ...Privacy's good for this, and Lily doesn't exactly want to set an example to the kids to do knife fighting just yet. ...Riesenlied would probably disapprove. It's a headache. Civilians...

The good-nautred complaint gets a wry look from Lily. "Worth a try," she allows. "But no." She's standing as well, a wide stance, both hands up, combat knife in one hand. ...Her knife has seen quite a bit of action over time, quite a bit of blood, but it's still quite sharp.

Josie eases back, and Lily tilts her head back, looking over Josephine for a moment. "...Hmm," she answers, considering. "I think it's going to be trouble," she decides. "They were looking for a weapon, and it wouldn't surprise me if we find it."

Pause. "...I'm still planning to go with you to the next place, of course." At that she steps forward--and slashes outward with her weapon. ...This time, she's gripping the blade with the blade upward relative to her hand. This time. And she's aiming at chest level.

<Pose Tracker> Josephine Lovelace has posed.

Sometimes the difference between life or death in the wastes is the willingness to get a little bit bloodied before it's all that dire to start. Live steel teaches caution enough, as well as gives you an understanding of what you'll be facing down when it really counts.

It's exactly the same as with an ARM: you can't practice with play weapons. You'll learn nothing.

"Oh well. I guess that just means I'll have to use everything I've got," she mock-laments, shrugging her shoulders as she shifts her stance into a partial guard.

And smiles.

"Old weapons are never anything but trouble. Trouble to fix, trouble to maintain, trouble to shoot. You know, some ARMs don't even work unless they 'feel' like it. But on the other hand, modern ARMs just don't hold a candle. Heh... makes you wonder what people were getting up to." That smile of hers turns lopsided. "Well, no, that's not true. It's got to be the same thing as always. Wars, right?"

The corners of her dark eyes crinkle. "Good. I figure you still owe me for that blackmail business, Tiger."

Lily steps in. Josie rolls back, tightening her profile as she shifts out of the way of the sweep. Then, flipping her grip on the blade, she leans in to catch the stab as it cuts inwards. Metal rings out.

And there, Lily's blade is caught on the guard of the knife.

Josie's arm shakes under initial impact, and continues to tremble as she holds the press.

"...Bad luck for me. Here's where I'd follow up with a spell if this weren't reasonably friendly-like, you know. But let's say I can't cast. Now what do I do?" She exhales a little sharply, attempting to press in. "That's what I'd like to know. The way I see it, I've got two options, and I don't like either of them very much." Once again, she breathes out.

And kicks one leg forward to attempt to hook it around and under one of Lily's own.

<Pose Tracker> Lily Keil has posed.

That's true in combat outside the wastes, too. ...Definitely applies here.

"Looks like," Lily responds with the same wry tone. But they continue; Josie's smiling, and old weapons... Well.

"Probably," Lily agrees about wars. But when Josie says that Lily still owes her, Lily says nothing, meeting Josie's eye before she steps forward. Immediately Josie's stepping back. ...But then the blade's caught.

Lily's arm holds strong; unlike her preference, she's still wearing her jacket, so the strain of muscle isn't visible, but Lily keeps her eyes on Josie's. "Of course," she says about the spell--Josie talks, and Lily waits, sizing up her opponent. She talks a lot... But that means she's planning something. So what is it?

The sweep comes out. It hits Lily's leg, and she abandons dodging it; instead, her off hand snakes out to grip at Josie's knife-wielding wrist, aiming to pull her right down with her--or get stable to stay upright. Either works. "You get to pick one anyway--"

<Pose Tracker> Josephine Lovelace has posed.

"Four parts, though, huh."

Josie pauses a second, as if considering the number. "You know, in some traditions, four is unlucky. I don't suppose you're the superstitious sort?" Which is followed by a shrug. "In my business it's not good practice, or else you'll just have to run screaming from every foul portent in every ruin you delve into."

Which prompts another pause. "Though after that last one, perhaps 'foul portent' is not necessarily wrong, huh?"

Meaning the Decaying Labyrinth, of course.

But chatter eventually must fall to the wayside as their little bout turns somewhat more serious once again.

"I suppose to a soldier this is just like breathing... huh..."

No room for a spell.

Instead, she swings her leg, catching Lily's own and dragging it closer to her. For most people, this would be enough to drop them if they had bad stance, or just plain weren't expecting it.
Lily isn't most people.

Josie's eyes widen briefly as she's grabbed neatly around her good wrist. Caught in this dance, it's no longer perhaps just Lily who is off-balance. Josie is too.

Down they both go.

Sprawled on top of Lily, Josie moves to attempt to break the iron-like hold the ex-soldier has on her wrist with a sudden jerk, wincing faintly.

"...Still better than the alternative."

In spite of her situation, she grins.

"Don't suppose you'd call it a draw?"

<Pose Tracker> Lily Keil has posed.

"Four," Lily agrees. ...Sure it can be unlucky. Josie mentions superstition, follows it up, and Lily has her usual sort of unaffected expression. Not good practice for Josie, maybe. Lily lifts an eyebrow. "...Sure is. And no, that one was foul all right."

"...Usually I don't get the option to beg off of it's unlucky anyway, so I just go through." It's not quite an answer to the question. But their bout is serious. Like breathing?

"Yes," Lily answers, and her hair shifts with her movement; Josie swings her leg, and Lily is closer. ...Lily spots the widening of Josie's eyes, and Lily grins briefly, despite herself, and then impacts the ground hard, the impact jarring--but not unexpected. Her knife is still in hand, held out to the side... Where it's clear she could've moved it.

"Considering what the alternative is, sure." A beat. "Ha. Sure, why not. We'll let it go." ...It's fairly magnanimous of her, really. "Not a bad maneuver though; against most people it'd work well."

Of course, Lily's stuck here under Josie for the moment, a woman who generally doesn't like to be touched.. but a knife fight is somehow more relaxing to her than usual. "More seriously about what I think... I think it's worth pursuing. Better we find this thing than someone else."

<Pose Tracker> Josephine Lovelace has posed.

"'Go through'. Heh heh, you're a force of nature unto yourself, aren't you, Tiger?"

Even in practice with the real things, you don't go all out. Dead sparring partners is generally considered bad business..

If this had been a real fight, Josie's certain it wouldn't have just been Lily she'd have landed on.

Of course, if this had been a real fight, she would long-since attempted certain other maneuvers herself.
As would have Lily.

"Sure, sure." Relaxing her fingers, she lets the knife go. It falls with a short clatter. Pulling her arm free as soon as Lily releases it -- and rising smoothly onto her feet soon after -- she winces again as she stretches. "Well, I certainly learned a thing or two today. Lesson one of any fight, know your enemy." She flexes her left hand, rolling the wrist. "You've got a grip hard enough to bend steel, I think..."

Pushing her bangs out of her face with her right forearm, Josie glances up at the sky.

"There's no question about it. I'm going to find it."

In profile, her expression is oddly stoic. Hadn't she seemed playful even in the middle of a fight just moments ago?

Before she straightens and glances briefly over Lily's way.

This smile is deliberate. "My academic career's counting on it, you know~"

<Pose Tracker> Lily Keil has posed.

"Nature's one way to put it. Not the one I'd use."

...But she doesn't really deny the force part. Lily's sure she'd have seen a lot of other things from Josie in a real fight... But there's something about sticking to one weapon, practicing it out like that. Not all fights have to be real, after all; training like that takes Lily back...

Though Josie's instincts are right.

The knife falls, and Lily lets Josie go. A moment later, Lily starts to rise to her feet too. It's not as smooth, but it is functional. ...Her knife goes right back in its holster at her boot on the way up. "I don't let go," Lily quips about her grip. ...Is it a joke? It might be. "Long practice holding down soldiers who need to sit still and take some damn treatment."

But Josie glances up, and there's something about her as she glances up, something that quiets Lily. Stoic, maybe; definitely different. Lily considers... Waits for the glance. Her academic career, huh...?

Lily can see something important, at least. She lets it hang for a moment before nodding. "...Can't have that going down." A beat, "Though at this rate, I'll end up an academic, too." She shakes her head, starts dusting herself off.