Alieth Posted May 20, 2021 Posted May 20, 2021 We.... we need to love @Geoffrey Teller just like this. Don't change ((City of Calabrum, Training Yard.)) McKittrick: Oh, there's time enough for questions later friends! A quick test of mettle. Dar Frowned a little confused. Dar: A match…:: She shot Teller a glance. :: Geoff nodded and the two of them stepped a short distance away from the knights to speak privately. L'ancelot: Look for suitable protective clothing, it's a friendly contest. Jorann's doublet may be useful. Across the courtyard Tomas laughed in apparent delight as Geoff stood ready, thought he wasn't entirely sure for what yet. The other knight had stepped away, searching out something on a nearby equipment rack. McKittrick: The same Jorann whom, though I hold him dear as a brother, has soiled his armor each and every time he has worn it? L'ancelot: I know his hygiene is not the highest in these places, but it's nothing that can't be fixed later with a few cleanings. Tomas strolled off to find the equipment while Geoff scowled. Even with his limited capacity as a diplomat, he knew refusal wasn't really an option. The specifics may have been unique but the idea of getting sized up by the locals through a contest of some sort happened so often it was nearly Starfleet tradition at this point. If Teller was lucky and put on a good enough show of it, he might even get the information he was looking for. From somewhere nearby Tomas called out. McKittrick: Good fortune sir, everything appears to be dry! Teller stepped into the arena and faced off against his opponent without much hesitation. Dar: Commander, Ummm good luck. Dar gave him a look that strongly suggested he was going to need it, and Geoff agreed. This was almost definitely going to hurt. Teller: Ready when you are. His opponent seemed surprised but moved past it quickly. L'ancelot: I was preparing for your companion but if you want it you will have it. McKittrick I think Wong's gambeson will fit Master Teller better, even if it has to be adjusted with some webbing. Don't forget to get him a helmet. Tomas returned and began helping him into a set of equipment that while foul smelling did seem to broadly fit his less than broad torso. It took several minutes but soon Geoff was wearing what felt like an entire plasma manifold worth of metal. Teller rolled his arms, trying to find his range of movement in the cumbersome equipment. He missed his skants immediately. Apparently L'ancelot saw the look on his face and empathised. L'ancelot: with more time we would have found them more suitable equipment, I just hope it is enough. Dar: Oh I’m sure these will do just fine, right Commander? Geoff's pants clanked. Teller: Oh yeah, definitely one of my best ideas yet. McKittrick: Worry not friend, it has been some time since L'ancelot maimed anyone in practice, thou perhaps that means he's due? The young man readjusted his helmet while Teller put on his protective gear. Geoff found the pommel of a sword in his hand and thanked the youth who'd passed it to him before taking a few tentative swings of the heavy blunted blade. L'ancelot: I'm sorry it's cumbersome, Master Teller, but even with no edge or point, a sword like this could easily break a bone. And soon we will need every available hand. Either to get away from that damn volcano or to make our way through the klings and their minions. Dar: Your planning on attacking them? As if in response the training yard rattled a bit, a small tremor running through the ground. Their frequency was increasing noticeably. Tomas looked pained. McKittrick: Simply, We are too few and they...are many. Their peasant levies, conscripted to serve Modrawts will or die, number in the thousands now. To attack directly would be certain death and though none among us fear it, there is no cause to throw away life so casually. Our Queen thought to contact Modrawt and broker some compromise that would stem the bloodshed, but our envoys never returned. Teller listened intently as Tomas laid out more useful tactical information then they had discovered in days until L'ancelot politely cleared his throat. L'ancelot: ready? Geoff wrapped his gloved hands around the pommel and brought it into position with a wobble. He felt off balance, his helmet limited his field of view to a fairly narrow slit, and he was starting to understand why Jorann, whoever they were, peed in this getup. Teller: Yep, ready. As a child of some seven years of age, Geoff had once managed to drag a large round metal refuse canister to the top of a tall hill near his family home. For no particular reason he climbed in, tilted the bin over and rolled down the rocky hillside so fast he blacked out. As an adult he had little memory of why he'd done it or even what had happened afterwards, but he did remember the sound all those rocks made as the stuck the outside of a fast moving metal can tumbling downhill. The ringing of L'ancelot's blade against his helmet, shoulder, chest and somehow helmet again was a perfect replica. Geoff put his sword up in a blind effort to deflect blows and was rewarded with a shock up his arms as L'ancelot deftly knocked the blade aside before ringing his bell a third time. From somewhere far ahead Dar was shouting. Dar: COMMANDER…UMMM BLOCK….GET HIM OFF BALANCE! Geoff considered this nuanced and complex tactical advice while L'ancelot continued raining blows on him with apparent ease. Teller felt like he was moving around on a planet where the gravity was too high and somehow L'ancelot hadn't even broke a sweat yet. He moved around in his armor like it was made of silk. McKittrick: Careful Sir L'ancelot, I think Master Teller intends to let you exhaust yourself! Why else would he allow you to attack unchallenged for so long? Geoff shifted his shoulders at the last second and successfully avoided one of L'ancelot's strikes, but his joy was short lived as the man deftly pivoted and fired another shot into Teller's ribs. Geoff saw an opportunity and wrapped his arm around the sword, trapping it and drawing both men together in close proximity. Geoff panted with exertion as L'ancelot fought to free himself. Teller: Had enough yet? For once, Geoff's low center of gravity gave him the advantage and he pivoted all his weight, sending the armored knight crashing down to the courtyards flagstones with a thunderous ringing of metal. Geoff stepped back and opened his visor, grinning like an absolute idiot. It had been a fluke victory but he'd take it. Geoff reached his hand out to the prone L'ancelot. Teller: Best two out of three? L’ancelot: Response She could feel the excitement inside her growing, her own heartbeat a mile a minute as she moved to follow the Combat that was now breaking out in the arena. McKittrick: By the Stars he's a feisty little imp. It is a rare thing to see L'ancelot grounded so and quite exciting. Tomas watched the man named Teller move and fight with rapt attention. He was clearly untrained and possibly a buffoon, but he fought with surprising bravery and spirit. Great knights had been born of far less. Dar: I think exciting is an understatement…you clearly:: She nodded in L’ancelots direction. :: Get a lot of training it. Tomas nodded gravely, not taking his eyes off the two men as they returned to the ready position. McKittrick: It is our duty to defend the people but we cannot do that if we cannot defend ourselves. As you've seen, monsters prowl these lands. Faith and a strong sword arm are often your best allies. Is it not so for you? Have you not trained in the sword and the spear since you were old enough to lift either? Dar: I can handle long-ranged and short-range melee attacks easily enough, I trained with Kl…:: She paused. :: Killing blows. In the yard Geoff had moved back to the center but he'd kept his sword low for a moment. It had nothing to do with the amount of panting and sweating he was doing inside the armor at the moment. Teller: If you give me a few minutes I can turn the armor plates around and you can bang out all the dents you just made. L’ancelot: Response Teller: Stalling? ::Geoff took a long moment to raise his sword and close his visor.:: Absolutely not. Ready as I've ever been. L’ancelot: Response This time Geoff went on the offensive immediately, swinging the blade down and across where L’ancelot had been a fraction of a second earlier. Geoff looked down in confusion as his blade impacted the cobbles before his helmet rang once again with a particularly hard strike. Geoff turned and raised his blade to block and successfully intercepted the blade before it could find its target. It was as much guesswork and luck, but Geoff was gradually reducing the number of blows his armor absorbed. Dar: WATCH OUT! TURN! Dar's warning carried across the courtyard and Geoff moved without thinking, a whistling blade passing centimeters from the tip of his helmet. Teller: Whoa hey maybe we should try negiogat... Geoff hurried back but L'ancelot pressed his attack relentlessly and eventually, Teller was all but chopped down and left panting like a turtle on its back. Teller: Ungh..ok...I think you got me that time. So do you think we're worth trusting yet, or do you need to knock me around a little more to be sure? Whatever L’ancelot decided Geoff was content to lay on the flagstones and look at the sky for a bit. He hoped the ringing in his ears would fade soon. McKittrick: Perhaps Master Teller is right, L'ancelot, and time is nearly as short as he is. They must know how desperate things are. Dar/L’ancelot: Response Teller: Well, I appreciate that. A surprising amount of my work results in head trauma. You get used to it. Geoff clanked on his own helmet with an armored fist like he was knocking on a door. Dar/L’ancelot: Response Tag/TBC =============================== Commander Geoffrey Teller Executive Officer USS Thor - NCC 82607 Commodore A. Kells, Commanding V239509GT0 1 1 1 Quote
Wes Greaves Posted May 20, 2021 Posted May 20, 2021 Man, @Geoffrey Teller you're just too good at weaving in excellent one liners. 1 1 1 Quote
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