Persona in the Playground~The Second Spar

[Xhosant]

It hadn't been long since the earlier feast had settled down with them, and Dorian and Soga had agreed to meet up for another sparring match. Soga had come early to the old tennis court they had clashed in last time, and was now looking around for discarded equipment that could make the match interesting, and to kill time.

[Penguinator]

Dorian appeared from the shadows, hand on his scabbard. "What will I be up against today, Sir Soga?"

[Xhosant]

Soga chuckled at the greeting. Finding nothing of use, he turned around.

"The best I have to offer of course, Sir Dorian", he replied, drawing his evoker. Not a moment later, its grip was fused into a velvet blade, blunt and shofter than anything that could cause harm, and Celaverimus was hovering ominously behind him.

The pair bowed, then assumed a combat stance.

[Penguinator]

Dorian nodded, drawing his blade. As he and his opponent began circling each other, he casually spoke. "Tell me, Sir Soga, how long have you been with this group?"

[Xhosant]

Following Dorian's movements with his eyes and mirroring them with his body, Soga replied.

"Not much longer than you, roughly two months. I've only headed out 4 times, each crazier than the rest."

He grants his opponent initiative in both speech and action, although he slightly shifts the angle of his steps, decreasing their distance ever so slowly.

[Xhosant]

After a few more seconds of turning slowly, ones that felt like ages, Soga decided to pick up the initiative again. He lunged at Dorian, and as their blades collided, he turned the conversation to him as well.

"Have you ever been in a fight? Before all this, I mean..."

[Penguinator]

Dorian looked sad for a moment, then countered. "With a sword, no. Fisticuffs? More times than I care to remember."

[Xhosant]

Soga pushed on the advance:

"A knight with a dishonorable past? How come, if I may?"

A sweeping, low strike followed the question.

[Penguinator]

Dorian blocked the low blow, then aimed higher.

"Dishonorable? Anything but." He paused, then swung again. "I had a few rounds with the school bullies, that's all."

[Xhosant]

With a step back and two deflections, first left, then right, Soga prepared to lunge again.

He never had been a target of bullies (fat chance he would), but he quite disliked the idea nonetheless.

"That's a honorable cause to take up arms, or fists. For what it's worth, I approve."

With that, he dashed ahead, thrusting for his enemy's right shoulder.

[Penguinator]

Dorian narrowly sidestepped the blade, then paused. With a pensive look on his face, he said, "Perhaps that will be all for today, Sir Soga. I feel a bit out of sorts."

[Xhosant]

Soga drew his blade back. "Was my prying too deep, Sir Dorian? If so, I apologize", he said with an apologetic bow, nothing like his usual ones. "Might I somehow make amends?"

[Penguinator]

Dorian thrust his blade into the scabbard, wiping his hands and looking down for a moment. "Mm, no, that's..." He rubbed at the back of his neck, then extended a hand, adding, "You can 'make amends' by asking me about the subject some other time."

[Xhosant]

That's not much of an amends, but..."It's a deal", replied Soga as he shook Dorian's hand.

Dispelling his own blade, he dropped the evoker in his pocket. with a bow.

[Penguinator]

Thinking that perhaps the because he had stopped practice early, he ought to make time for something else, Dorian thought of something he wouldn't normally suggest.

"Sir Soga, have you yet supped this eve?"

[Xhosant]

Soga perked up at the idea.

"No, actually. Wanna grab a bite together? Tab's on me."

That'd be the way to make amends he was hoping for.

[Penguinator]

Dorian raised an eyebrow. "All right, then." Was that something people did? Pay for other people? "Do you know of anywhere nice? You've been around a bit longer than I have."

[Xhosant]

Soga smiled.

"There's a nice little shop in the park, not far from here."

[Penguinator]

"What sort of wares do they sell?"

[Xhosant]

"All sorts of refreshments, and many bakery stuffvtoo. Sandwiches too I think. But you want something more lunch-like, don't you? Maybe we can look around town."

[Penguinator]

Dorian nodded. "Very well, one never knows what they may find through observation." He took a look at the tennis court, and added swiftly, "But, we ought leave this place cleaner than we found it."