ROLEPLAY HQ - wielder-of-storm-and-shadow

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Recall now, ere the moment even comes, how first you entered on that path astray. How, when gained your feet the upward, lighted way, you backward gazed, as one the drowning sea - the deep strong tides - has baffled, and panting lies, on the shelved shore, and turns their eyes to see the league-wide wastes that held them. So your eyes have now surveyed that fear, the while your wearied frame rested, and ever your heart tossed as the lake became more quiet. Spurn me no longer. Slip beneath the cold wet glass with nary more thought that that given by the drop that dances inexorably downward and weaves its way twixt the butcher's floorboards.

Fitting, that you would be lead astray by a spectre clothed in the flesh of one so named. Out of the garden shall she lead you. Down the rocky road to ruination high above the Blackest Shore. There she would bid you drink of a fountain of blood in the shape of a girl. Imbibe, then, and make mockery of good judgement. Teeter along the precipice, intoxicated by her words. Blood is a language unto itself. Sing in it, if you can. Pray in it, if you must. But know that, for you, it will forever be a foreign tongue. Salt and iron, yes, but the taste is all wrong.

Tamar clenched his jaw so tight that his ears rang. Raising his fists up in front of him, he dug his fingers into his palms until his knuckles turned white. He kept squeezing until he thought his nails might draw blood. He hoped the sea of sensations would drown out the incessant nattering. He knew what it wanted, and Professor Emmerrito had made the rules very clear - this was to be Tamar's fight, and his alone. His shadow would simply have to follow in his wake and hope for the best.

1:11 PM

eyed his opponent. What was so special about her that the professor would mark her as one of his best? She was studious, clearly. While some people watched sparring matches to cheer on their friends, and others revelled in the violence simply for the spectacle of it , Tamar suspected Lilith’s reasoning was much more calculated. Was she studying forms and movements, hoping to continue sharpening her skill even after her muscles were too tired to continue practising? Was she learning to read her opponents in preparation for facing them down on the mat? Even now, as he took a tentative step towards her, she backed off slightly and circled wide, never taking her eyes off of him. What was she thinking? “Best not give her time to think,” he decided, rushing in with a tentative strike. As his foot left the mat, he could almost feel his shadow clinging to him. It felt like leaving a part of himself behind, but he pushed the thought away with little effort. Now was not a time he could afford to be distracted. He needed to show her why people looked up to him. He needed to remind himself why he had to lead.

Lilith forced herself to take a calming sigh. She could feel the blood rushing and the adrenaline. It almost made her giddy, the manner of a how a fight felt. She stared at Tamar fearlessly, thought her outward expression was nothing compared to the storm that boiled beneath her skin. She retreated slightly at his slight advancement. Her mind was racing and it was close to giving her a headache. Oh, but she could barely think straight, too many distractions and other focuses she needed to not accidentally strike the gym with a bolt of lightning. He had control, over his powers, but she lacked restraint. She couldn’t even aim properly with her powers. Lilith shook her head, those thoughts were a problem for a different class not here. Not when she knew her opponent wouldn’t go easy on her. Of course, she’d seen some of Tamar’s fights with others, though they were rare. She had no sort of accurate read on how he fought and what sort of tactics he used. Lilith darted forward, sliding under the attempted kick. Her own goal was to knock him off his feet, as she tried to sweep his right ankle out from under him. If she could ground him, she would have an easier time fighting the larger opponent in front of her.

“She’s smart - or maybe just reckless,” thought Tamar, as Lilith ducked low and closed the distance. Most opponents would simply give ground to such a cursory attempt. Many of his fights had started that way, combatants throwing out jabs and kicks to measure distance, give a (potentially false) demonstration of their speed and power, or simply test their opponents nerves. The most foolish would get too caught up in these displays of bravado, being caught in the middle of their chest-thumping by a quick strike that signalled the true start - and, perhaps, end - of the bout. Lilith, on the other hand, had chosen to close the distance, rather than open it. While his kick had been tentative, she certainly would have felt it if she caught the force of it while moving into the blow. Instead, she had managed to swing herself underneath it, so that when his foot landed, they were now two steps closer. A small detail, but it caused Tamar to give up one of his advantages over her - reach. He quickly tried backing off, but his legs felt heavy, and Lillith easily kept pace. He had only fought twice earlier today, and the match with Eiron had scarcely lasted a minute. Surely he wasn’t winded. He refocused, and simply wrote it off to his opponent being faster than he anticipated. “Fine,” he resigned. “Get close. I’ll show you why the rest give me a wide berth.” Hunching over slightly, he lowered his leading guard to protect his abdomen and raised his right to his chin. He figured he would wear her down if they traded jabs into each others’ guard. She might be faster, but she gave some of that advantage up herself when she closed so tightly. But why did he feel so damned slow?

There was a slight smirk on the other girl’s face. She knew damn well any sane person would keep away from a close proximity fight, but that was one advantage she had, she knew people giving him space often led to them losing. She had seen his strength in his earlier fight, and knew Tamar’s reach would easily get her trapped if she gave him the range. Lilith quickly got up after closing the distance the between them and threw an uppercut at his jaw. Any strong hit to the face could easily make someone waver. Something she was anticipating. If the blow connected, she knew exactly what she would do to get him onto the mat. One thing she had was a tactical mind, and foresight. She would let her mind run freely in fights to always try and stay ahead of her opponent.

Claus’ voice sounded far off as it warbled a single word in the back of Tamar’s mind: “overconfident.” Whether it was intended to be an indictment of Tamar or his headstrong opponent would be a matter only determined through hindsight. Too late did Tamar see the fist rising up towards him. He shored up his right guard and took the brunt of the blow on his forearm, but the force of it still sent his own balled fist into his chin. His teeth clacked loudly against each other, but he didn't take his eyes off his opponent. He had plenty of practice taking a hit. It was time to put Lilith to the same test. For a moment, Tamar believed Claus was murmuring its disapproval, but he quickly realised the voices belonged to the gathered spectators. It seemed many of them had been awaiting this bout, as Tamar could all but feel the weight of their gathered eyes upon him. “Focus,” he willed himself as he saw an opening slip away. Lilith’s uppercut had left her midsection exposed. Despite his unbalanced footing, Tamar threw a solid jab with his left as she pulled her guard back into place. It was a game of inches, and he was determined to win.

She narrowed his eyes, watching how he took the blow, noting he had almost been too late. A slight idea was forming, but she would absolutely need the upper hand to pull it off. It would still be too risky this early in the match to try and make him yield. Lilith could hear the crowd murmuring. She knew the anticipation of their match was something many awaited. It was something where the energy felt tangible. Feeling the gaze of everyone, she forced herself to not get distracted. While it’s true Lilith’s opponents may not have landed many blows, she still knew how to block, it just wasn’t her strongest area. While Tamar threw a jab at her open midsection, she winced at the various ideas to counter that went through her head and the one she had settled on. Seeing that he was unbalanced, she moved to instep the jab. Of course, if he was fast enough, he would still be able to catch her. As she stepped, Lilith quickly, forced her foot back down towards his unbalanced back leg.