Summary:T'Challa and Mari spar - it gets interesting. Log Info:Storyteller: None |
Related LogsTheme SongNone |
  |
Mari had wanted to… put T'Challa through his paces. Or actually rather the reverse. Not like that but in a more martial one. And since they're both a bit unusual, they need a bit of space for this. T'Challa has located a nice meadow in a state park. It was a nice drive out here. And there's food in the trunk so it will be a nice picnic when they're done.
But for now…
"Well…" T'Challa is taking off his (very nice) suit jacket and loosening up. "How shall we start? It's a bit nippy but at least it is dry out."
Mari has been looking forward to this. She enjoys a bit of a rough and tumble. Not like that! Putting T'Challa through his paces has a certain appeal.
The ex-model slides from the car as T'Challa removes his jacket. She's dressed in slacks and nice top - a top that she's sliding off to reveal a tank top underneath. "Are you going to spar with me dressed like that?" She grins. "That should be interesting but I was rather hoping for something a little more … decorative."
Cheeky thing that she is.
Taking her time to stretch and warm up, the dark skin glances over. "It depends on what you wanted to see … but let's start with some light sparring and see where it leads. You don't have to go easy on me."
T'Challa laughs and takes off his button shirt revealing something more suited to a workout underneath. Form fitting, moisture wicking sort of thing. The pants come off to reveal similar workout pants. "I was not thinking of ruining your suit if that's what you were wondering." He smiles.
A pair of short spears appear. Very short, Not more than three feet in length and ghostly blue.
"I was not planning to. When you are ready…"
"I was not wondering if you would ruin the suit. I just wanted the eye candy to go along with this." Mari grins again, looking at the glowing spears in T'Challa hands. "Are they both for you? I'm not as versed in weapons as you are. I prefer to use hands."
"Or my talons or claws."
"Whenever you are, your Majesty…." she teases, slowly circling as they fall into the fight.
"I do not think I could give them away so yes. They are both for me." He crouches slowly and spins both weapons. Then he comes at her. He's clearly versed in two weapon fighting, striking with one while defending with the other. He's FAST and very agile. She can tell that from the start. And trained. He is very, very well trained.
Well. Kings are selected in a trial by combat, are they not? He had said that. He must have studied for it much of his young life.
The question is, how much of T'Challa's fighting style will Mari recognise as the Panthers? That has to be weighing on the Monarchs mind.
Mari skips back, leading T'Challa onwards - she's not channeling yet, getting a feel for the tempo and the mans style itself.
"Skilled and good looking. Just my cup of tea…" The silhouette of an armadillo appears behind her as she knocks one spear wide and steps in to throw a jab at T'Challa.
She's a scrapper. He's seen her fight. There's no real finesse to what she does.
"So I have already experienced." T'Challa is unquestionably better trained than she is and dances away from her jab. Then he comes back in and brings both of his spears in a high arc down on her shoulders. Or at he shoulders anyway.
The fighting style does look a LOT like the Panther's. Of course the Panther is superhuman or at least moves like one. Whether that's him or the suit is a good question. T'Challa just moves like a person. A really fit, well trained person but still a person.
Mari snickers and drops into a sweeping kick just as T'Challa dances back from her jab. She's quick - not as quick as she could be but she certainly had some training - and might just hook T'Challa's ankle as he brings those spears down.
The armadillo plating she's channeling will take some of the impact as the lithe dark skin woman rolls away. Another tumble and she's back up onto her feet, facing T'Challa. "Didn't anyone tell you it's not nice to hit women?" It's said with the cheekiest of smiles.
Oh yes, she's going to use a lot of this field.
T'Challa stumbles momentarily but comes back to full balance remarkably quickly. He smiles. "Am I hitting you, Mari? Or just hitting on you?"
He seems to be quite willing to use a lot of the field as he moves up to press his advantage. First he's on one side, then the other. His fighting style seems to involve some acrobatics. And it is, yes, like the Panther's. It features a lot of movement and positioning but the flurry of attacks he unleashes is just unrelenting.
Mari tumbles and rolls as T'Challa dodges side to side. "I'm not sure about hitting on me, T'Challa. I've not heard any passable lines yet …" She grins, thoroughly enjoying herself as he comes on her with that attack.
"Did your friend spend some time studying how to fight with you?" The Panther had said he was from Africa, not Wakanda … but gee the similarity is notable.
Letting his spears hit the shelled exterior of the armadillo she's channeling, the silhouette behind the ex-model shimmers as a grey backed ape appears. Mari grabs for one of T'Challa's wrists and uses his momentum to swing him into a spin and away from her.
"Shall I compare thee to a summer's day? Or are you interested in more groan worthy pickup lines? I am sure I can think of some." The sudden spin has the Wakandan prince on the defensive. He crosses both spears as he circles around, looking for a new opening.
"You are quite nimble even without your spirits to help you." He observes. "But I have been hitting you. I think the armored costume will do you good. Now. Can you hit me?"
"An armoured costume, would yes. I don't channel more than three or four spirits at a time - and then it has a toll if I'm not very careful." Mari agrees. "I've been letting you hit me, so that I can use the strength that I'm borrowing…"
That's an admission but it makes sense.
"As long as you don't ask me if it hurt …" she mutters, a silhouette of a panther appearing with the other two. Lightning quick, the dark skinned woman dashes at him, knocking one spear wide and jabbing at his midriff.
T'Challa brings the other spear around. She is now very much straining his ability and he is definitely moving a bit faster. It's really very, very interesting. If she's paying attention.
The prince grins. "Oh NOW this is getting interesting. No. It doesn't hurt yet. But feel free to try to make it. I will just ask you to make it feel better later."
Oh he's teasing now. And enjoying himself. Perhaps more than he should.
That spear is knocked wide, Mari seems to have expected it. She's perhaps a little too close to get the full effect of T'Challa's movements but she sees enough. "You didn't …" she jabs, letting the speed of the panther fuel her movements and the strength of the ape aid the punches. "… say whether your friend trained with you…."
The dark skinned woman doesn't back down, just presses the attack. "Don't worry, I'll make it hurt so you like it …"
"Perhaps he did. Why? Do you think I have any of his talent? Do you think I trained him? Or he trained me?" He's really straining to stay ahead of her now. He's just not quiiiite fast enough and she catches him enough to send him tumbling though he somehow rights himself mid tumble and comes back to his feet.
Then he spins his weapons again, replaces one with a shield and comes back in at her, this time using the ghostly shield to defend himself while he strikes at her legs and midsection.
"I think you fight in a similar style." Mari pants, sending a flurry of punches and jabs at T'Challa. She's not really pulling them but she's not sure how much punishment he can take, so she's a little more careful than she would in a full fight. "Do you never answer a question directly?"
Blinking as T'Challa tumbles and rights himself, a gleeful grin crosses her face. "Ho ho. That looks familiar…"
The Wakandan prince knows Mari isn't afraid to a beating - the armadillo fades to be replaced by the rhino she favours, it's toughened hide absorbing some of the strikes he manages to land on her. Legs tangle in his spear, the dark skinned woman dropping to the ground, to tumble and wrap her arms around T'Challa's calves.
"Should I?" T'Challa teases, not answering that one directly either. He feels her drop and grab his calf. Mari can actually feel how toned that muscle is, and feels it flex as he tries to get untangled but to no avail. He drops down, but immediately rolls to try to put her on the ground rather than him and gain the upper hand by keeping her on the ground with his shield.
At this point, in an actual fight, someone would surely be dead shortly.
Either way, there's going to be a lot of rolling in the brown winter grass.
Mari still has the silver backed ape summoned - her strength considerably more than her base. Is it more than T'Challa's? She's about to find out as she heaves crossed arms against his shield, trying to push him off and flip herself over.
Failing that, the dark skinned woman will settle to tumble him again, trying to loosen his hold on her.
T'Challa holds out against that push perhaps a little bit longer than he should. Then he's flipped onto his back and lets the spear and shield disappear. "Alright, alright." He laughs. "Enough. I yield."
He's quite strong, this prince.
"Much better than the last time I had to fight a duel. It did not end with me laughing, that much I recall quite clearly."
Mari sprawls over T'Challa, pinning him a little longer than necessary - her eyes shining in mirth though she does seem a little more wild than her usual self. The Panther has seen that before - T'Challa, not so much.
"You've got some strength to you. I'm impressed. I might have met my match. That is until your friend agrees to wrestle me."
She's teasing as the silhouettes behind her fade, leaving just Mari and T'Challa.
"You look good when you laugh. The last time … the ritual fight you had to fight?"
"Yes. A fight for the crown that was my birthright, but never assured unless I could assure it with my own two hands." People CAN die during that fight. It is not necessarily required but if one of the combatants will not yield then it goes on to the death.
Others would look at it as brutal and perhaps it is, but it has given Wakanda kings for thousands of years.
"And do you think the Panther will agree to wrestle you? I think you might have trouble bringing him to a field with a picnic basket." Which they have in the car. With wine. And cheese. And smoked meats.
And wine. Very good wine. Did he mention wine?
"Oh, the picnic basket is only for you. As is this meadow…" Mari answers, stealing a kiss as they lay there. "For the Panther, I think I'd find somewhere in the Disaster Zone, where there's only rubble for us to disturb."
There's another cheeky smile, as Mari cups T'Challa cheek "So. Did I measure? Have you put me through paces enough, now?"
There's wine in the car. Nice wine. Very nice wine. And a picnic blanket and food.
"For now. We should do this again though after you have your armor finished." And they can make sure that it is up to spec before she goes out. If T'Challa seems like he wants her safe, like he is very interested in her coming back in one piece… he is.
"In the mean time, shall we take advantage of the view of the lake not far from here, and some of that excellent food we packed?"
"I'm disappointed." Mari teases again but moves to let T'Challa up. She'll have some scrapes and bruises from their fight - the channelling doesn't stop that, just stops her getting hurt badly. "But I'm looking forward to doing it again."
Holding a hand down to help the Wakandan up, the ex-model flashes him a smile. "We can tell people we enjoyed the view of the lake, but I don't know about you - I have something else that will keep my attention."