1865-11-11 Three out of Five
Three out of Five
Summary: Romante Sparring
Date: 1865-11-11
Related: Related Logs (If there aren't any, use None. Don't this entry leave blank. If there is a log, use full URLs, like http://eternalcrusade.wikidot.com/logtitle)
NPCs: {$npc}
Players:
Aidric  Kira  

The Practice Arena, Firen
Room description
IC date of RP

It was early in the day but the Novembre sunlight was warm, and bit by bit was banishing the morning chill. That sunlight finds Aidric waiting in the practice yard of Firen palace looking soldierly in his arming coat, and gauntlets, an leaning on a waster. The middle son of Charing studies the other fighters and the yard with a distant expression as though his eyes were taking in the sights but his thoughts were elsewhere.

Contrary to her previous meetings with Aidric, she is not dressed like a lady at all this evening. Instead she saunters in in leather, her legs wrapped in snug leggings, a tunic, a jerken jacket hugging close to her curves. Her hair is braided up in a tight crown, keeping it from her eyes. A sword is slung easily across her back, a dagger on her hip, another poking out from the top of a boot. All and all she looks more like she belongs on the docks at Four Corners than here amid royalty. She grins, really it's more of a smirk as she approaches, much more in her element in this skin. "Cousin…"

Addressed, Aidric turns to regard the speaker and when he does his eyes widen slightly when they register this much more war-like version of his cousin before him. A smile tugs at the corner of his lips as he takes her all in. Truly he had expected her to come attired as such, of course, as the practice yard was no place for gowns, so that did not surprise him so much as the evident comfort and confidence that came with it. "Cousin. For a moment I thought you had the wrong man, you are very much transformed," he remarks with a nod of greeting. "Martial attire suits you."
Kira looks down over herself, "I found my sword kept getting tangled in my skirt so I had to give it up." She notes with a wink. She looks over him slowly, "So have you come to any ideas as to what you would like to wager?"

Aidric snorts and rolls his eyes. "I did not mean it like that, you just seem very comfortable as you are now. Perhaps because you are better equipped to deal with the watchers we spoke of last time." Then, the wager. "I had not thought of anything yet to be honest. My mind has been taken to other places. What of you and the giggling girls you mentioned, has your cadre likewise come to no good suggestions?"

Kira laughs lightly, "I lived for more years in this attire than in those dresses to be honest." Her fingers hook lightly in her belt. "I haven't had an opportunity to propose anything to the girls they all slept late after the wedding."

Aidric nods taking that fact in to the rest that made up his picture of Kira. "Well it shows," he remarks before taps his chin, thinking. "Well then, we will have to come up with the wager on our own then. What would you want of me if you win?"

Kira hmmms looking over him slowly, up and down, "I don't know you well enough to know what would be diffecult for you. But if I will you will answer one question of mine entirely truthfully. Fair?"

Aidric does not shy away from being looked over and when it's done and the offer is made. "Fair enough, then I will levy the same prize if I win. A question truthfully answered."

Kira grins, "Don't distract yourself too greatly trying to think one up. I intend to best you soundly." She looks around for the practice weapons. "Shall we get to my beating you soundly then?"

Aidric grins in return. "Will you?" he asks with a chuckle. "If so perhaps you should be the one off to fight the war and I the one going to Ironhold for more training." At the question of if the beating should begin he nods. "Wood or steel?" he asks her, seeing as she had proper weapons and he had but a waster in hand.

Kira looks over him, "Wood I think, I wouldn't want to muck up that pretty face." She moves over to pluck up one of the blunt weapons, rolling the sheathed blade off her shoulder and setting it to the side carefully.

"Nor do I wish to add to what the bear and boar have done," Aidric says with a smile as he hefts his own wooden blade and moves into the practice field. "By-the-by I prefer handsome to pretty," he offers as he waits for her.

Kira shifts the wooden sword in her hand, getting a feel for it's heft before she moves over towards him. Her posture is light and relaxed, steps on the balls of her feet. "Ready?"

Aidric watches Kira take her stance and shifts his own to match as he steps into the fool's guard, blade held low inviting an attack. "Ready," he says.

Kira is very fast. That's apparent. While she isn't at that crazy space where a sword is an extension of her body yet, she is extremely adept at protecting herself. While her sword is stopped from meeting Aidric's body she dances adeptly away from his own.

Aidric is, perhaps unsurprisingly, an aggressive fighter. He parries hard and strikes back harder still, the sword whistling through the air as Kira escapes. Aidric follows though, knowing the best way to beat a faster foe is to trap them where their speed is for naught.

Kira makes the mistake that young make… she gets cocky. Her own strike falling too far to one side which leaves her opean to a blow to the body. She grunts softly and then smirks. "One for you cous…"

Aidric takes the opening he's given striking hard and fast. Kira's words are met with a nod and a slight raise of his sword in salute but it's clear his focus is on the match.

Kira misses again but at least she's able to draw her wooden blade back to parry, winking across the space between them, "So 3 our of 5 shall we call it?" She asks as she pushes back.

Aidric grimaces when he sword is stopped cold. "Three out of five, aye," he agrees as he steps back to gain room to for the fight to continue.

Kira swings in too hard too fast and catches herself off balance but the paranoid reflexes save her in the last moment as she manages to dip the tip of the wooden blade down, just barely deflecting another blow. "Did you have fun at the party after I left?"

Aidric snorts as his blow is deflected at the last second. Damn was she fast. "I drank more wine than I should have, fortunately the important people had left."

Kira grunts and tries again, she might be quick on her feet but he's got experience on his hands and manages to clip her hip. "Two for you…." She takes a deep breath, trying to calm herself.

There is a moment of elation when the sword strikes and then a nod "Aye, two," he agrees. Then his mind slips back to the fight, eyes seeking an opening for the final strike.

Kira manages again, to miss, and again to get hit. She lowers her blade and crinkles her nose a bit disappointed with herself. "Now you can see why the boar got me." She presses on a good sport smile though. "Do you have a question?"

Aidric slips out of the way of the sword and delivers the final blow. When it's over, he turns and lowers his blade to the dirt. "Still must have been a damn quick boar," he allows before nodding to her question. "I do," he looks around the yard before he asks his question however, making sure they had some measure of privacy. "You were clear about what I was not to expect from you, but gave me no clue what you wanted from me. So, that's my question, what do you want of me?"

Kira sets the practice sword aside and picks up her iron one, dragging the sheath back to where it belongs, on her back. She mulls over the question and then looks back to him. "I don't know." She says simply. "Company that doesn't worry about what my father did perhaps? Beyond that… I haven't really thought." '

Aidric collect the practice swords and puts them away in the rack before he turns back to her considering. "Well you have that much at least," he says readily. "As to the rest, think on it and let me know what you decide. I dislike being adrift in such matters."

Kira shifts the strap across her chest, "Do you care to narrow down what my acceptable options are Aidric?" She asks, watching him move. "I really haven't until very recently spent too much of my time considering my relationships with men."

Aidric's brow raises at the question. "It's not so much a case of what is acceptable and what is not so much as what you want and what I want," Aidric says with a frown. "As for what I want, I had hoped we would be friends as I think we are now but enjoy one another's company in bed from time to time."

Kira tries to hold her chin steady but when a bit of pink creeps into her cheeks she looks down, "We are friends Aidric. As for the rest… Perhaps. In time. In all honesty I don't typically have men in my bed." If typically means ever. She clears her throat lightly. "I did enjoy kissing you the other evening."

Aidric looks at the pinkening cheeks and the downward cast of Kira's eyes and it comes together. "By the One and Saint Martha, you're still a maiden," he exclaims. It was a guess, true, but the signs were there. "I had thought otherwise, hence my offer."

Kira's lips part but she lets go of what ever she might have to protest that. Technically it's true. She pulls her shoulders up and lifts her chin. "My apologies if I had confused you, I seem to have that effect."

"You do have that effect but not in this. I just assumed since you mentioned other men and kissed so well that you'd been to bed with one or two of them in the past. So the mistake seems to be mine for not asking plainly," Aidric replies.

Kira watches his expression curiously, "A lady should have a few kisses by my age I would hope… it's not your fault I lead you to believe I was more comfortable than I was. It's a force of habit."

If Aidric's expression could be summed up in a word it would be considering. The wheels of his mind turn at this new information trying to put it into place with the rest of what he knows of his cousin. "True, they should or they are not living life correctly," he says as he comes out of his head and actually looks at Kira. "And any leading was done as my own assumptions as an accomplice, so do not think so badly of yourself for it," he says then opens his mouth again to ask a question only to let it go unspoken
.
Kira's head quirks some to the side, "You can ask." She says to what ever it is he stiffles.

"It was a question that is absolutely none of my business," Aidric assures her with a shake of his head. Which in itself should give some clue of what it was about.

Kira's mouth draws up a bit higher at the corner, "Which makes me even more curious as to your thoughts."

Aidric lets out a sigh. He had been trying to be polite about things. "I was curious as to why you hadn't taken anyone to bed ere now. Whether it was a matter of saving yourself for the marriage bed or if it was simply a matter of preference. Though as I said, I have no right to that answer."
Kira mmms softly and glances around, moving over to one of the benches to take a seat, "The thought's more interesting than the answer. Do you wonder because you're assessing your opportunity?" She asks.

Aidric sits beside her on the bench and answers "Opportunity is a poor word for it. I would know your views so we might avoid any further confusion between us."

Kira looks up at him, "I haven't had any men in my bed to avoid unnecessary complication. I have barely been able to care for myself at some points these past years, let alone an unexpected child. It's practicality rather than preferance or virtue."

Aidric takes that in simply enough. Looking over to her when she looks to him. "Sensible," he replies looking thoughtful. Had he had similar sense he'd not have a bastard and another on the way. "Those teas do not sit well with you I take it?" he asks her. As they had come this far, it seemed foolish to stand on propriety now.

Kira shakes her head, "They only work when you have access to them. Not a reliable option until recently and still I wouldn't have half a clue how to aquire them." She leans back against the wall.

Aidric takes that in as well and shifts on the bench when Kira leans back so he can talk to her without craning his neck. "Woodswomen and apothecaries those sorts of people. The latter I am told is better for reliability," he says before he shakes his head of the absurdity of the turn of the conversation. "I say that for the sake of information rather than to push you down a particular course."

Kira is after all a motherless child there's all sorts of missing peices in her lexicon of handy life lessons. She nods slightly with a little 'ahh' and then shrugs. "I would stab you before I would let you steer me down that path if I didn't want to go their cousin."

"I believe you," Aidric says without hesitation. A true compliment if one knows the man. "So where does this leave us then? Can our various wants be reconciled?"

Kira considers him, "I imagine that will depend greatly on the extent of your patience. Can your wants be tempered?"

Aidric considers Kira's response "I am not a patient man by nature, especially in these matters, further, it will not be long before I am off to war. That said, I am willing to continue on as your friend and if you overcome your concerns and some day take me to your bed then I will welcome it," he answers plainly and honestly.

Kira considers his answer for several moments and then nods, "That's fair and honest." She reaches over to grip his hand briefly. "I'm glad we crossed paths here."

Aidric watches her as she considers his words, trying to divine her thoughts from her expression. He allows his hand to be gripped and he nods "As am I," he replies.

Kira pushes herself to her feet. "Now will you show me how you beat me?" She motions to the practice space.

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