[he's about to be more cagey, to play with words and make his decision, but then Nier says that, and a part of himself that he usually keeps very down speaks. Nier's already seen him with a sword, so playing dumb won't help him too much. instead, he smiles, and his eyes are unreadable.]
Not to get even. But a friendly spar, now...I'm sure you'd give me a better time than these pieces of wood.
[and that said, he walks back a little, to give them proper space.]
[oh, he's fast, and Merlin can instantly feel the difference from his imagined opponents - an actual pushback, requiring him to swing his sword up to block and redirect, the clash of metal on metal ringing out in the arena, and there's a light in Merlin's eyes as he leaps back.]
Leave your marks, if you even can. They'll make a great story to tell.
[that he got them in a heated battle under the stars. but there'll be enough space to taunt, and he darts in to swing his sword, trying to slip under Nier's guard.]
[ his eyes are alight with something inexplicable — the gentleness so commonly present in his features leaves him, and instead he smiles, brows knitted and expression hard with a quiet ferocity.
merlin moves like the wind; he sees the purpose in his eyes more closely this time, flickering like a flame. metal rings. merlin swings, and nier parries; metal rings again. ]
Your skin is fairer than mine. [ he leaps back only to pivot forward on a foot and strike hard towards his middle, right along his chest. of course, this leaves his abdomen relatively exposed, but he doesn't care. ] I thought you'd value it more. [ merlin fights on the offense.
he likes that. it shows. ]
I'll make sure it's one worth asking about. Something that lasts with fondness.
[he'll heal himself, he thinks, if it'll be anything that really impacts his looks. he's not like Nier, who wears the evidence of what he knows across his body - such is the blessing of magic for those with even a touch of vanity in their veins. if he really showed it...
well. he doesn't. instead he knows at this range it'd be too hard to avoid it with his body, so he uses the blade, halting it an inch or so from his middle before he pushes back hard, trying to sway Nier's balance and push his sword out to the side so he can take advantage of that gap in Nier's defense.
obvious. he knows it'll be read. but if he really wanted to win, to draw blood, he'd start playing dirtier than this. that was the realm of a mage - victory at all costs. he can see that resolution in his opponent - time will tell if the same sort of thing gets drawn out of Merlin.]
[ nier's stamina seems to be at the forefront of his skillset, his strength being second — when merlin pushes back, nier does the same, teeth gritting as metal meets metal. his form threatens to fall apart, but he is notably immovable, wanting to knock merlin forward instead of deftly dodging. his voice lowers a register when he speaks, slow and deep— ]
Seeing is one thing. Feeling is another.
[ but the definition of "victory" in this fight seems to have taken something a little less clear-cut. in his mind, however, the pieces fall together, and he's eventually shoved off balance. this does not seem to distress him — it's an invitation to attack, to gauge what he'll do next. it's more exciting that way. ]
[it's too simple, too foolish to completely rush in. he breathes in, evaluating the situation, and foregoes the simple opening to kick out, going for Nier's legs to further push him. he can reason out how it would put him at a disadvantage to simply look for the easiest route - a brute charges ahead without thought.
but if he can slip a little more under his guard, then he can take another swipe at him.]
[ steel grazes his bare skin — until it pierces, rivulets of blood beginning to spill from and trickle down his abdomen. he uses this as an opportunity to charge forward and shift his katana upwards, going for a frontal offense as he strikes towards merlin's chest in a fluid motion.
merlin can do as he pleases. he'll grit through the pain no less, he's decided. ]
[Merlin pulls back, but not quick enough - the blade cuts through his shirt, a thin scratch along his torso. hardly something to worry about, flesh wound wise, but...]
Ah.
[glancing down, Merlin holds up a finger. one moment.
what he's doing is clear in the next second, as he uses the hand not holding a sword to pull off the shirt all together. better than having to repair it further later, and it made them more equal, didn't it?
that's all the time he needs though, before he's rushing back in for an overhand swing, keeping on his toes. clearly, he couldn't close his eyes around this one. and he intended now to make Nier view him the same - just for a moment, if he could.]
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no subject
Not to get even. But a friendly spar, now...I'm sure you'd give me a better time than these pieces of wood.
[and that said, he walks back a little, to give them proper space.]
no subject
[ the cue clicks in his mind with ease.
so he steps back in turn, his katana slowly unsheathing, head held high. ]
I don't have any hard limits.
[ ... ]
But I'll try not to blemish your skin.
[ and he lunges, quick on his feet, swinging down. ]
no subject
Leave your marks, if you even can. They'll make a great story to tell.
[that he got them in a heated battle under the stars. but there'll be enough space to taunt, and he darts in to swing his sword, trying to slip under Nier's guard.]
no subject
merlin moves like the wind; he sees the purpose in his eyes more closely this time, flickering like a flame. metal rings. merlin swings, and nier parries; metal rings again. ]
Your skin is fairer than mine. [ he leaps back only to pivot forward on a foot and strike hard towards his middle, right along his chest. of course, this leaves his abdomen relatively exposed, but he doesn't care. ] I thought you'd value it more. [ merlin fights on the offense.
he likes that. it shows. ]
I'll make sure it's one worth asking about. Something that lasts with fondness.
no subject
well. he doesn't. instead he knows at this range it'd be too hard to avoid it with his body, so he uses the blade, halting it an inch or so from his middle before he pushes back hard, trying to sway Nier's balance and push his sword out to the side so he can take advantage of that gap in Nier's defense.
obvious. he knows it'll be read. but if he really wanted to win, to draw blood, he'd start playing dirtier than this. that was the realm of a mage - victory at all costs. he can see that resolution in his opponent - time will tell if the same sort of thing gets drawn out of Merlin.]
Now that, I'd like to see.
no subject
Seeing is one thing. Feeling is another.
[ but the definition of "victory" in this fight seems to have taken something a little less clear-cut. in his mind, however, the pieces fall together, and he's eventually shoved off balance. this does not seem to distress him — it's an invitation to attack, to gauge what he'll do next. it's more exciting that way. ]
no subject
[it's too simple, too foolish to completely rush in. he breathes in, evaluating the situation, and foregoes the simple opening to kick out, going for Nier's legs to further push him. he can reason out how it would put him at a disadvantage to simply look for the easiest route - a brute charges ahead without thought.
but if he can slip a little more under his guard, then he can take another swipe at him.]
no subject
[ steel grazes his bare skin — until it pierces, rivulets of blood beginning to spill from and trickle down his abdomen. he uses this as an opportunity to charge forward and shift his katana upwards, going for a frontal offense as he strikes towards merlin's chest in a fluid motion.
merlin can do as he pleases. he'll grit through the pain no less, he's decided. ]
no subject
Ah.
[glancing down, Merlin holds up a finger. one moment.
what he's doing is clear in the next second, as he uses the hand not holding a sword to pull off the shirt all together. better than having to repair it further later, and it made them more equal, didn't it?
that's all the time he needs though, before he's rushing back in for an overhand swing, keeping on his toes. clearly, he couldn't close his eyes around this one. and he intended now to make Nier view him the same - just for a moment, if he could.]