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Post by zuyuri on Aug 13, 2023 20:29:16 GMT
“Woof. Hopefully her roommate doesn’t have any bad allergies should a bloom happen.” He had seenBella create her signature flowers only once. He hadn’t seen Utena’s twin apart from classes and the one Cinderblock fight. Was she the introverted type? He could only assume so. He had been an introvert too before discovering sports.
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Post by angelofmusic1992 on Aug 14, 2023 23:53:00 GMT
Utena laughed. "Nah, I think they're good. She never stays mad for long anyway. Kind of on the sensitive side, you know?" Bella tended to get sad over things more than mad. She'd been called a cry-baby more than once by bullies over the years. Lucky for her, Utena was the opposite and was willing to throw fists with anyone who picked on her sister.
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Post by zuyuri on Aug 15, 2023 18:00:19 GMT
“Noted.” Riku looked to the skyline. The sun was beginning to sink, meaning that his shadow powers would be at their peak. The last he wanted was to accidentally get Utena hurt if he let them loose. Unless…”how about one more soar before heading back? As the sun gets lower, the shadows get at their peak. You said you wanted me not to hold back, right?”
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Post by angelofmusic1992 on Aug 16, 2023 0:12:09 GMT
Wow. Utena hadn't realized how much time had passed. She didn't want to be caught in the woods too terribly late. But Riku suggested one more sparring match, and there was the added challenge of his shadows having the advantage of more darkness. Utena grinned. "Odds are against me, huh? I like it." She drew her sword again, getting into a fighting stance once more.
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Post by zuyuri on Aug 16, 2023 1:09:53 GMT
“Don’t say I didn’t warn you,” Riku said with a coy smirk. He pulled his sword out and held it aloft. The entirely of the sword was coated with black as he held it aloft and exhaled. The powers flowed through, familiar and comforting. Utena stood ready, and he mirrored her fighting stance
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Post by angelofmusic1992 on Aug 16, 2023 23:54:45 GMT
Utena shifted on her feet for a second, thinking. Should she strike first? Riku had the advantage at this point, maybe she should wait for him to make the first move. But the air was thick with tension and Utena couldn't wait for long. She lunged forward with a thrust, her feet light on the ground, but still standing firm.
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Post by zuyuri on Aug 18, 2023 1:43:42 GMT
“Catch me if you can.”
With that taunt, Riku swung his blade - but not at Utena. The sword instead into the ground. The shadows melted into a puddle of black purple. He took one step, and Riku disappeared into the shadows. It was all that happened. Like he had just stepped into a puddle of water.
Yet in the shadows, Riku felt every angle. He knew the presence of roots and even other people’s shadows. Before, it had been maddening, trying to untangle which shadow was which. But he has gotten better. He found a shadow and followed it, glad the shadows is the trees were hiding his approach. The tree near Utena was close by.
Riku emerged from the tree’s shadow and swung towards Utena’s side, hoping to catch her off guard.
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Post by angelofmusic1992 on Aug 19, 2023 15:30:06 GMT
Utena's strike missed entirely, sort of. Riku just...vanished. One minute, he was there. The next, it was like the shadows swallowed him up. Utena spun in a circle, trying to spot him. He hadn't been kidding when he said the darkness gave him an advantage. He was pretty much invisible at this point. Eventually though, Utena felt the hairs on the back of her neck stood up and her instincts kicked in. She brought up her sword as Riku swung his. It was a narrow block, she'd almost been too late and she wobbled for a second on her feet. But she just took a step back and that was enough to regain her balance.
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Post by zuyuri on Aug 19, 2023 15:43:00 GMT
Not bad. Utena had good reflexes. Those would be good in a fight. Especially against superheroes that were good stealth sneaks. Using the same trick wouldn't work, he knew that just from hanging out with her. She was smart. Unless...No. He wouldn't be a total dick and get her frazzled. That would end up with them getting hurt. Saying nothing, he feinted his strike as the sword blocks slid away.
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Post by angelofmusic1992 on Aug 21, 2023 22:09:42 GMT
Riku didn't attach again, he just got his sword unlocked with Utena's. She kept shuffling on her feet, half expecting another shadow to pop out. Those buggers were fast. But when one didn't, she went on the offensive against, faking to the left before swinging with her right hand.
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Post by zuyuri on Aug 23, 2023 2:05:48 GMT
Riku leapt go left. But the bad news for him, good news for Utena, was it had been a trick. Her right handed strike knocked the wind out of him before he had time to react, sending him flying far back. For a while, all he could do was stare at the blurs in his vision and let the breath come back into his lungs. He sat up with a wince. No point to throwing shadows if he couldn’t concentrate.
“Good shot.”
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Post by angelofmusic1992 on Aug 23, 2023 23:55:43 GMT
Utena winced as Riku practically got blown back by her hit. "Oh my God, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to do that," she hastily said. Well, the faking part she'd meant to do, but not swinging that hard. She had to remember that not everyone could walk away from a hit like that like she could. "That's not gonna leave a mark, is it?" she fretted.
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Post by zuyuri on Aug 27, 2023 1:35:13 GMT
Riku winced as he stood up. The strike stung, but so long as he stayed in the darkness, it wouldn’t show how much it hurt. Utena had a mean hit! Then again, she did bounce back harder after strikes. Sparring must have triggered that. “Nothing that I haven’t felt before.”
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Post by angelofmusic1992 on Aug 30, 2023 1:49:45 GMT
"Oh jeez..." Utena felt bad. She'd gotten too carried away. "Um, maybe we should have the school nurse look at it or something?" she suggested. "Uh, I'll walk you there." It was the most she could think of to offer at the moment. She kind of wished she could use her fast-healing powers on other people. It would really come in handy right now.
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Post by zuyuri on Sept 1, 2023 3:34:20 GMT
“Well, the good news is you didn’t draw blood. Thx bad news is…” Riku trailed off. There really wasn’t any bad news. All he got from Utena was a bruise. Well, for now if felt like a bruise. Nothing that rest and an ice pack couldn’t fix. He going enough strength amid the throbbing injury to stand up and sheath his weapon. “Plus, good to know I have a good sparring partner. I mean I like practicing with my teammates, but it can get predictable fast.”
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