Therin Shahrizai de Leveque
Aristocrat
Future Comte de Leveque; House Shahrizai
Son of Noctis and Lucretia Shahrizai de Leveque
Posts: 153
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Post by Therin Shahrizai de Leveque on Feb 10, 2010 1:32:19 GMT -5
I lead Gad toward my father's estate where I currently resided. Once we were there I instructed the stable hand to take our horses and showed Gad toward the door.
"Do you want to say hi to anyone or just go out back? I doubt my sisters are home since they usually find reasons to go and spend money. My mother is always hiding somewhere preening something and only the gods know what my father is up to at this moment."
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Post by Gadleon Shahrizai on Feb 10, 2010 10:46:10 GMT -5
I handed over the buckskin and did not feel the urge to tell these servants that well he bites. They should after all know that. I then turned my attentions to Therin and gave a small smile. “I might suggest that we take a peek and see if anyone is present. That way if they are I can greet them and no one ends up feeling snubbed. If nobody is about then we go on about our business.”
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Therin Shahrizai de Leveque
Aristocrat
Future Comte de Leveque; House Shahrizai
Son of Noctis and Lucretia Shahrizai de Leveque
Posts: 153
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Post by Therin Shahrizai de Leveque on Feb 13, 2010 23:10:06 GMT -5
I led him into the house, showing him the basic living areas but skipping the bedrooms. The house was what you would expect for someone of my father's standing, but he was good enough not to over indulge. My sister's rooms were another story, at least in my point of view, but I didn't think Gad wanted to be bored with those.
We approached the kitchen and the sound of women's laughter emerged from it. I smiled slightly and said, "my mom has taken to gossiping with one of the cooks. She is a little put out by the move and hasn't gone out to make friends."
I then opened the door and walked inside, the room hushing as I did. Might as well make a short hello.
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Post by Gadleon Shahrizai on Feb 16, 2010 9:57:06 GMT -5
I just inclined my head and smiled and trailed Therin into the room. The way the voices died out when we entered I thought made us appear to be a couple villains making a grand entrance. After a suitable pregnant pause I smiled to my aunt “It is good to see you auntie” I then slightly inclined my head.
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Therin Shahrizai de Leveque
Aristocrat
Future Comte de Leveque; House Shahrizai
Son of Noctis and Lucretia Shahrizai de Leveque
Posts: 153
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Post by Therin Shahrizai de Leveque on Feb 22, 2010 1:46:01 GMT -5
Lucretia smiled when she saw Gadleon and said, "It is good to see a friendly and familiar face." She then walked over to give him a hug and a kiss of greeting. "How has my nephew faired?"
I stood to the side and let them greet. I also noticed with some amusement that one of the younger cooks was peaking at Gadleon from where she was cleaning. It would appear that she was not put out by his scars at all.
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Post by Gadleon Shahrizai on Feb 22, 2010 10:25:43 GMT -5
I returned and greeting and shrugged and smiled “as well as ever in the City and mostly up to my own devices. Though I have to confess it is quite nice to see some familiar faces.” I inclined my head a bit in her and Therin’s direction. “Therin and I were going to get some exercise and see if we can work out some pent up energy.”
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Therin Shahrizai de Leveque
Aristocrat
Future Comte de Leveque; House Shahrizai
Son of Noctis and Lucretia Shahrizai de Leveque
Posts: 153
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Post by Therin Shahrizai de Leveque on Feb 27, 2010 17:36:44 GMT -5
Lucretia smiled and said, "boys will be boys." Then with a little bit more of a serious tone she said, "enjoy yourselves and try not to kill my son."
I gave her a annoyed look, but then smiled. "I know you'd hate to have to go through a painful childbirth and 19 more years of dealing with a son if you had to make another."
My mother just laughed and then waived us off as she turned to return her gossiping session. I lead Gad out and toward the gardens. When we arrived we walked down a short path to a central court yard. "This should do," I said.
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Post by Gadleon Shahrizai on Mar 1, 2010 9:48:29 GMT -5
I gave one of my predatory grins “I cannot think of ever killing anyone I did not mean to kill.” I then bowed with a flourish and rose back up and drew my blade taking a relaxed but balanced stance waiting.
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Therin Shahrizai de Leveque
Aristocrat
Future Comte de Leveque; House Shahrizai
Son of Noctis and Lucretia Shahrizai de Leveque
Posts: 153
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Post by Therin Shahrizai de Leveque on Mar 16, 2010 0:51:52 GMT -5
I returned his smile with one of my own, I was more than ready to stretch my arms and practice the craft I enjoyed. "That is good to know," I said. Then, with words that were partially in jest since I was not so over confident to think I could win against a seasoned fighter I said, "I have yet to kill a man so I will do my best to make sure today is not my first."
I heard his sword draw as I spoke and instinct drew my hand to my own sword, drawing just a moment after Gad. I stood in the guarded stance that had become nature after many lessons. I watched Gad as I did, knowing that the shoulders and face were usually the best predictors of a person's move. I had not sparred with him for a long time and he might as well be a new opponent. I did not want to make a rash move and lose only seconds after the spar started.
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Post by Gadleon Shahrizai on Mar 16, 2010 8:25:58 GMT -5
My face became utterly impassive and devoid of emotion. Some might grunt and groan in battle and indeed there was a time for that but I preferred to be like the wolf in that I was completely neutral. One might live and one might die but the wolf really did not care one way or the other even if he was the one doing the dying. It was simply the way of things.
Therin was not as rash as I might have assumed and in that he showed wisdom. It left me to make the first move and thus tip my hand first. Very well, without taking a formal stance at all I sent my blade snaking for his middle with a strike that was not pulled in the least as I counted on his skill to save his life. But even before our blades clashed I was already twisting my blade and twirling it so that once Therin parried my own blades would already be swiftly heading straight for his skull.
Once more I did not bother to pull the strike instead counting on him to counter and save his own life. But my real craft was the third attack in the series. It was an attack that somebody who has only been versed in the niceties of the practice field would not be expecting. While Therin was busy trying to keep his entrails inside his gut and his skull in one piece I sought to slip inside his guard and hook his leg with my own and sweep him from his feet.
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Therin Shahrizai de Leveque
Aristocrat
Future Comte de Leveque; House Shahrizai
Son of Noctis and Lucretia Shahrizai de Leveque
Posts: 153
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Post by Therin Shahrizai de Leveque on Mar 17, 2010 4:48:23 GMT -5
Gad's look put me on guard, it told me that he was ready for some action and I knew I would have to keep my wits about me. I sparred as often as I could, but with the move and the events that took place before I was a bit out of practice.
He moved toward me, his blade aimed for my midsection. I moved quickly to parry, turning what seemed to be his intended target away, but careful to keep my center of balance as I did. I felt, with satisfaction, the force of our blades touching, the sound ringing musically in my ears.
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Post by Gadleon Shahrizai on Mar 17, 2010 9:10:36 GMT -5
Therin was parrying well enough but I could see quickly that his skills were still strictly training ground honed. He also had more than a little bit of rust and thus I became less vicious with my strikes so as not to injure him on accident. But I kept up a steady pace pressing him as far as I dared and still not cause injury. He was pretty good as such things are reckoned and there really was not difference between us other than I simply had more experience at this point.
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Therin Shahrizai de Leveque
Aristocrat
Future Comte de Leveque; House Shahrizai
Son of Noctis and Lucretia Shahrizai de Leveque
Posts: 153
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Post by Therin Shahrizai de Leveque on Mar 20, 2010 23:29:51 GMT -5
I parried Gad as best I could but soon realized that I was acting mostly on the defensive, finding it hard to make a offensive move. I also found myself tiring quicker than I would have liked. I gritted my teeth, however, and held my ground, trying to find a move to get inside his guard.
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Post by Gadleon Shahrizai on Mar 22, 2010 9:00:12 GMT -5
Ah he was trying to get inside my guard a move I normally favored. Well to be honest about anyone with a blade in their hand did that more or less in one way or another. I also noted he was breathing hard and appeared to be laboring. I was covered in a sheen of sweat myself but felt more warmed up than exhausted. Figuring it was time to try and put this one to rest I aimed a strike at the back of his knuckles on his sword hand using the flat of my blade.
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Therin Shahrizai de Leveque
Aristocrat
Future Comte de Leveque; House Shahrizai
Son of Noctis and Lucretia Shahrizai de Leveque
Posts: 153
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Post by Therin Shahrizai de Leveque on Mar 26, 2010 0:08:59 GMT -5
I was preparing myself for another attempt at a strike when I felt a unexpected rap against my knuckles. I felt a pain move through my hands as it and the force caused my sword to fall from my fingers, though not without a good effort of me trying to recover it. But, alas, it was a move I was not expecting and one that won. I was not sure what his next move would be so instead of trying to go for the sword I instead moved quickly to get out of his immediate reach.
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Post by Gadleon Shahrizai on Mar 26, 2010 8:15:52 GMT -5
The sword clattered to the ground and the game was over. But Therin moved to escape as if I might really gut him. Ah, well no need to let his fleetness of foot go to waste. So as he was retreating I reversed my swing and tapped him on the backside with the flat of my blade as well an amused grin on my face the entire time.
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Therin Shahrizai de Leveque
Aristocrat
Future Comte de Leveque; House Shahrizai
Son of Noctis and Lucretia Shahrizai de Leveque
Posts: 153
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Post by Therin Shahrizai de Leveque on Mar 28, 2010 18:57:24 GMT -5
I felt a rap on my rear as I moved aside. I took a loot at Gad's face and could not help a short laugh. "Do my lack of skills amuse you dear cousin?" I asked, but not out of spite. I then moved to retrieve my sword from where it lay.
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Post by Gadleon Shahrizai on Mar 29, 2010 9:05:27 GMT -5
I simply sheathed my blade as he went to retrieve his own a smile was still on my lips. “What amused me actually was the fact that you continued the battle even when disarmed. It is a rare person who does that as most simply give up when the blade hits the ground. It shows that you have quite a game spirit.”
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Therin Shahrizai de Leveque
Aristocrat
Future Comte de Leveque; House Shahrizai
Son of Noctis and Lucretia Shahrizai de Leveque
Posts: 153
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Post by Therin Shahrizai de Leveque on Mar 31, 2010 0:22:20 GMT -5
I returned my sword to it's spot around my waist. "Thank You," I said. "I do try to put myself in the mind of a real battle, with exception of trying to actually skewer my partner of course. I figure it will help if I am ever in a position in which I am required to sword fight outside the realm of sport."
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Post by Gadleon Shahrizai on Mar 31, 2010 9:47:23 GMT -5
I rolled my shoulders “It is a fine line really. When using real blades extra care must be taken so as not to do any real damage. But if one uses wooden practice swords the feel of them and reaction time is just not right. I reckon it is something that is very difficult to simulate.”
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Therin Shahrizai de Leveque
Aristocrat
Future Comte de Leveque; House Shahrizai
Son of Noctis and Lucretia Shahrizai de Leveque
Posts: 153
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Post by Therin Shahrizai de Leveque on Apr 10, 2010 0:55:26 GMT -5
'Yes, I am sure you are right. If anything I don't know the feel of a sword in flesh, how much strength that takes or the strength to remove it." I thought for a moment, while a serious part of me did want to experience a real fight, to know that I had actually killed a man would be a strange thing.
"If you don't mind me asking," I said, "was it difficult to make an actual kill?"
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Post by Gadleon Shahrizai on Apr 11, 2010 23:03:18 GMT -5
"My first no as it was a matter of one of us was going to die. And well call me a bastard but when put in that context I pick the other fellow rather easily. To be honest it all happened so fast I did not have time to think about it." I frowned a bit "another bit of combat that is hard to simulate is that you are continually getting cut, bruised, and otherwise discomforted. It all starts to wear you down aside from the physical exertion."
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Therin Shahrizai de Leveque
Aristocrat
Future Comte de Leveque; House Shahrizai
Son of Noctis and Lucretia Shahrizai de Leveque
Posts: 153
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Post by Therin Shahrizai de Leveque on Apr 16, 2010 22:38:16 GMT -5
I nodded, serious for a moment, but then I smirked. "I suppose one could practice at Mandrake and have an adept whip you as you twirl your sword."
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Post by Gadleon Shahrizai on Apr 27, 2010 15:14:51 GMT -5
I gave him a blank stare before replying "mayhap that is possibly the strangest suggestion I have ever heard even in jest." I blinked a few times for affect before adding in my best serious tones even if I was not serious at all "you have obviously tasted the depths of perversion and found that you liked them."
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Therin Shahrizai de Leveque
Aristocrat
Future Comte de Leveque; House Shahrizai
Son of Noctis and Lucretia Shahrizai de Leveque
Posts: 153
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Post by Therin Shahrizai de Leveque on Apr 28, 2010 23:34:37 GMT -5
I raised an eyebrow, "I can most assuringly tell you that I have not." I then smiled and said, "I did not know that all training was suppose to be pleasurable. Maybe you are the one with a secret perversion."
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Post by Gadleon Shahrizai on May 3, 2010 9:17:53 GMT -5
I snorted “my dear Therin you certainly do not strike me as one who has lived a sheltered life and if you have then it should be my duty to save you from your sheltered upbringing. Besides you were the one who made the initial suggestion.”
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Therin Shahrizai de Leveque
Aristocrat
Future Comte de Leveque; House Shahrizai
Son of Noctis and Lucretia Shahrizai de Leveque
Posts: 153
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Post by Therin Shahrizai de Leveque on May 6, 2010 20:41:07 GMT -5
I smiled and then shrugged, "what can I say cousin," I tapped on my skull with my swordless hand and said, "sometimes strange thoughts find their way up out of here."
I was feeling good, a small trace of the previous drinks still coursed in my blood and the adrenaline of the recent spar moved through me at a even more noticeable rate. 'What say you, another spar, or would you prefer to do something else?"
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Post by Gadleon Shahrizai on May 7, 2010 8:52:50 GMT -5
I rolled my shoulders in a lazy fashion “I care not to explore the world inside your skull as I am easy to frighten. As for the other whatever crawls out of that little world of yours I suspect will amuse.”
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Therin Shahrizai de Leveque
Aristocrat
Future Comte de Leveque; House Shahrizai
Son of Noctis and Lucretia Shahrizai de Leveque
Posts: 153
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Post by Therin Shahrizai de Leveque on May 11, 2010 23:00:11 GMT -5
I laughed a little at Gad's comment of him frightening easily. The first spar had been short and too the point. I knew without a doubt that Gadleon was better than I. I wasn't quite sure if I wanted to walk away just yet, though. I paced around just slightly, not really moving in but just seeing what he would do. "mmmmm, Yes," I said, "I have never had a problem finding things to amuse me, or others."
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Post by Gadleon Shahrizai on May 12, 2010 9:48:26 GMT -5
Therin was restless and I suspected he would make a run at me sooner or later as reading people was more of the art than the blade work. Yet I remained relaxed but ready when he made that run. I kept my manner relaxed and my poker face on. “I suspect that is a talent like any other and not an all together un-useful one either.”
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