flameguard | mygod | pc catchall

[ HELL YEA this is going to be an absolute BLAST. he missed sparring, he missed rondo, what's not to love about this morning?

and why bother dodging when you can meet your opponent head on? he easily catches fisteralda on the naginata's staff and laughs again. ]

Good, good! You've stayed sharp while I've been gone!

[ this is exactly why rondo loves sparring with iwatooshi - he's as direct as rondo is, prefers the head on charge over the sneaky subterfuge. sparring with kanda was fine until kanda decided he hated him, but it's not quite the same.

his emotionshare picks up in flares at the block - delight, both at the hit and the praise, and then determination, as he throws his weight in to slide his sword free from the polearm and invades his space, coming in as close as he can to aim his well trained sparring slashes. no quarter for the guy at arm's length! ]

Yes, sir!

[ that move throws him back a step to catch his balance, and there's a burst of pride and excitement as he's quickly put on the defensive. with his height and his weapon's reach, iwatooshi was never meant to fight in close quarters, like rondo. he's already at a disadvantage, losing steps as he pulls back with the naginata held before him to parry.

but he's not defenseless! he watches each move rondo makes very closely, and before long - once fisteralda hits his weapon again, iwatooshi shifts his weight to his right foot, shoves the blade to the side, and aims a swift, strong kick right at rondo's side. you ever just brawl?

if it lands, that should give him enough distance to fight back properly, and even if it doesn't - it'll give him a moment to readjust his strategy. ]

[ of course rondo expects nothing less from iwatooshi. he's relentless himself, aggressive and forward pushing - it's one of the skills he learned from sazantos, the ability to fight and fight and fight, to build proper strategy for the person that you're sparring against. (he'd done much the same with karlach, on thursday. they'd fought for hours. perhaps if he hadn't hesitated, the results wouldn't have been the same.)

but that's the furthest possible thing from rondo's mind, right now. his emotions are focused and joyful, thrilled as he slashes forward, focused on the danger of the naginata. it's much more than the actual blade itself, the body of the weapon is key, and - well. the body of the weapon is key. he is not expecting the kick, and he makes an oof noise as it forces him backwards, stumbling two or three steps, but he hops right back up.

especially because he knows in his fighter brain that iwatooshi's back on the advantage, and he highly doubts he'll just back off. so he leaps right back, stance adjusting, ready to be on the defensive and block if he needs to and looking for an opening to dive right back in where he was. ]

[ another delighted laugh bubbles out of iwatooshi as the kick lands - he's never been worried about hurting rondo, after all. they're equally resilient, equally relentless, so instead of waiting, he immediately swings the naginata back around into a more offensive stance to counter.

rondo's already pulling back, but that's even more advantageous for him, isn't it? small spaces are where he struggles - it's how he'd ended up dead, getting pressed into just the right position that he'd get stuck. but now he has space, and his naginata has reach. he only needs to take a step or two forward to let the weapon speak for him, singing with joy as it cuts through the air for a downward sweep, aimed at rondo's legs. knock him further off balance, and he wins this thing. ]

[ WHY WAS THIS WEEK SO INSANE MY PCS SUFFERED SO BAD

oh, he's expecting the immediate strike back and he is not disappointed. there's another ping of breathless delight in his emotions, like an excited, determined dog, and when iwatooshi bounds forward, he drops fisteralda down to try and block the naginata instead of running from it, leaning into the hit instead of pushing it away. he's a tank, or at least a tank in training - his fight with karlach lasted for hours - so he can take it, especially when it's just a bonk during a sparring session.

he's still fully expecting to be on the defensive though, because he knows iwatooshi won't give him an inch, so he grips his sword tight, two handed to match the weight and strength differential and plants his feet. for now, he won't be moved!! ]

[ ohhh, a block. not bad at all, to hold even iwatooshi back, but he expected no less of rondo.

he yanks the naginata back suddenly, twirling it so the blunt, weighted end goes hurtling toward his other side. planting your feet like that just makes it a challenge? how hard does he need to hit to force rondo back? ]

mygod | pc catchall | iwatooshi

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