hadriel | In the dead of night [video]

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In the dead of night [video]

[it is pretty much the dead of night, since Law is doing his best not to sleep if he doesn't have to. It'll catch up to him eventually, but he's fighting it as best he can. Wearing this shirt no less, but it's less for irony and more for a need to do laundry. He's not here to talk about weird dreams, though, since without outside input he hasn't yet figured out that it's more than just...nightmares. Plain old nightmares that now feature people in Hadriel since he's been here long enough for them to enter his subconscious.

No, not dreams, although his query is related.]

Has anyone ever proposed an idea to find our benefactors an alternate food source?

It wouldn't help them with their Null problem but I have to wonder if it's even possible, and if so, how one would go about experimenting with the possibilities.

[this is where his mind goes on four hours of sleep]

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I am always fresh. [You didn't think a few nightmares truly bothered him, did you, Law?] However, I can be patient if you need time to recover.

[CHALLENGE. ACCEPTED]

Not at all. I've fought more seriously on less sleep. Where do you want me?

[Yukari smirks.]

Delighted to hear it. In front of the armoury sound well enough to you?

That will do. I can find my way there easy enough.

[just let him grab his nodachi, he'll show up in his dumb coffee shirt and his floofy hat in no time]

[Yukari shows up just fine to the armoury, humming playfully as he approaches, looking to see if Law arrived before him.

When he sees him, he gives an airy chuckle, clearly amused by the thought of this battle.]

Well, Hat-chan, I do hope that you won't be holding back. I want to see the beauty of a soul that is challenged by life. The passion of what you hold most dear. Show it to me~

[With that, he draws the sword from his back, rivaling the length of Law's Nodachi, and twirls it flambouyantly before taking a fencing stance. He looks nothing short of graceful. And with a step, he charges at Law in that only takes a blink, striking forward to attempt to pierce Law's middle.]

[Oh, he's there, clutching the saya in his left hand. That kind of pronouncement to start the fight is...rather unusual, thanks man]

The beauty of what?

[no time to chit-chat, that's an attack and he's ready. He pulls Kikoku fluidly and flings the saya aside in time to parry the strike with one good one-handed swing. For as long as it is, he has good control of its reach - and being six-three himself, it helps.

He turns the momentum right back, reversing and swinging back the other direction in a wide sweep. He has to remind himself not to call up a Room - they agreed no powers - but it's hard to fight that instinct.]

[Yukari is easily adaptable and practically dances out of the path of Law's swing. But he's back on the offensive in a heartbeat with an upswing, and since there's no powers by his rules, he follows it with a leap and a back kick to try nail Law upside the head.]

Hmm... impressive. But can't you give more?

[It's a taunt, clearly.]

[with a roll to the side, Law lets the kick whiff past his hat.]

How much more do you want?

[He can easily kick it up a notch and does so, dropping his shoulders and rushing in for a series of quick slashes, his movements short and efficient. If you'd like to dance, Yukari, this should keep you moving.]

[Oh! That causes Yukari's eyes to widen a bit, but he's still all smiles and enjoying himself as he backflips out of the way of a few of those strikes. A handful manage to slash his jacket, though and he receives a few superficial cuts beneath those incisions. Though he also manages to parry some of them as well. It takes a few timed defense tactics, but Yukari is smoothly dodging all over again. And finally...]

All of it! I want to see the very best you have.

[He decides not to hold back any longer, and starts letting out a rapid series of strikes of his own.]

You can keep up, can't you?

[Damn right he can, shifting his arms and taking a two-handed grip on his sword in order to match that speed, blocking just as deftly but unable to see an opening in which to counter yet. His footwork is just as impeccable as Yukari's, Law moves to the side and widens his stance to brace behind the barrage.]

If you want my best you'd have to lose the restriction on powers. But I have a feeling we're both evenly matched on that regard.

[aha, there it is - a chance. Law slides his blade the length of Yukari's in order to circle and then come back at him from the side, swinging a few times before changing his grip again, going one-handed in order to slice and spin himself out of the way at the same time]

[Yukari gasps and has to abruptly change his plan of action to avoid getting sliced open, though the blade leaves a wide gap in the side of his jacket.

Yukari lands a few metres away and clicks his tongue in playful disapproval. That'll take some stitching later.]

Impressive~ However, if you must rely on your powers to do your very best, then are you truly a fighter at all? Just because you can obliterate someone in a second with your supernatural abilities does not make you talented. And while I'm certainly not above cheating if it should suit the ends, I recommend learning to be beautiful without the use of such abilities.

However, seeing your skills thus far, I must say, I truly believe you have so much more to give. And while your performance has been admirable, it still lacks beauty. So, will you give it to me, or do you forfeit?

[Without waiting for an answer, Yukari charges back into the battle, upping his skill level further. It's time to stop underestimating Law.

With more furious slices, inhuman speed, and a stronger set of determination, he's attacking from as many angles as he can, constantly trying to sweep around to Law's blindspots.]

You don't have to tell me that.

[he's Mr. You're Using Too Much of Your Power, but doesn't get into that, taking up the two-handed grip again and concentrating on blocking the fresh onslaught. It's actually quite refreshing, facing someone his level, and even if he's a little weary on account of the late night and lack of sleep, it isn't affecting his skill. Hell, he can keep up the conversation while he blocks.]

If you're so worried about beauty, you're going to miss an opening. All it takes is one slip and you'll make a pretty corpse.

[the one thing he can't turn off is his haki, so he can't stop himself from instinctively shifting to meet every swing, though some of those twists and turns are awkward and his blocks give here and there, forcing him back and risking his balance. He also can't find a chance to counter, now.]

I yield nothing. You're good, but you can't beat me with words.

Oh? Do you intend to make a corpse of me? Don't go getting any unsavoury ideas of what you might do to such a beautiful corpse. I can't say necrophilia is all that flattering.

[Now, if Law were actually flirting, Yukari would be alot more uncomfortable. But Yukari takes the pretty comment in stride. It's certainly not meant to be an actual compliment.

And, with any luck, the playful words will cause Law to subtly drop his defences and cause an opening in which Yukari can get in a piercing strike.

And either way, Yukari will not let up on his relentless striking.]

Besides, without beauty, you cannot win. If you lack beauty where another wields it fully, you will certainly lose.

This will never do, you're still holding back. How disappointing. At this rate, you'll never impress me enough to get the information you want.

Show me what motivates you, Hat-chan. I will accept nothing less.

Edited 2017-11-07 18:48 (UTC)

[his lips twist in a scowl, definitely offended that he should even think of such an idea, but Law holds firm, one foot sliding back to put more power behind his defense. It takes a lot more than that to taunt him to the point of losing his cool.]

Maybe if you stop blathering about some stupid ideal like that, I will.

[beauty, hah. Even petty vengeance isn't good enough. But this is supposed to be a spar, not a real fight, his life isn't on the line. Law is aware that he's just sort of taking everything without dishing it back, so if he wants to claim anything resembling a win, he'll have to take it up a notch as well.

The next strike against Kikoku's blade, he doesn't just block but counter-swings, hitting it hard to clear himself a path to attack. Rather than a wide cut, he lunges in a piercing move - Injection Shot, but without the actual injection shot behind it - and regardless of whether it's blocked or not, follows it up with short slices at close range]

[The counter-swing knocks Yukari back and he actually stumbles, but he's quick enough to retract from the piercing move in time. And Yukari smiles. That was a little close for comfort.]

Better~ Strike me if you can.

[Better, but not great. The truth is, if Law can succeed in what Yukari asks, then he should have no problem landing a blow. Yukari has a high pain tolerance, so he's not afraid of getting struck. Besides, if Law holds anything back, it wouldn't be very interesting, would it?

Following this, though, Yukari becomes vividly more intense. If Law thinks for a second that this is just sparring, he's terribly wrong. His life could very well be in danger. In his homeworld, Yukari is infamous for desiring to let blood flow, and is second in skill only to the Kings. So, he should prove to be a valuable opponent indeed, when he's not toying with his prey. And, well, Law should consider himself in high esteem that Yukari has decided to hold absolutely nothing back at this point.

Every strike should match blow for blow with Law's, if the previous pacing means anything, and Yukari will prove to be much harder to knock back.]

[fortunately, Law is no dummy - he can read body language even without haki, and can tell when the mood changes and his opponent is no longer out for some casual fun fight-times. It's subtle, but he knows the difference. His energy changes to match, his eyes growing cold and his movements becoming more efficient. He charges slightly with each swing, pushing forward with small stutters of steps so that if his strength isn't enough to overcome, his momentum might be. Of course, circling doesn't help his cause, but he always repositions and presses in again. The faster Yukari moves, the more power he puts behind his swings, trying to wrestle momentum to his benefit and give him a real taste of his strength and speed.

Even Smoker had called him an excellent swordsman, once, in warning off his men from trying to attack. Law is more than a match for admirals, but that usually accounts for his ability as well. He's not using it now, simply his swordsmanship.]

[Yukari is, unfortunately, thin and light. So while he is proving to be a challenge to push back, it still does not go unnoticed. He does get swung back more than a few times. And with the increased intensity, Yukari does appear to be remarkably enjoying himself with each strike.

In fact, he's also finding it remarkably difficult to restrain himself. He has the urge to use his own abilities and see how much Law can take. But there will be no rule-breaking here today. Going back on the rules you set yourself does not align with beauty.

So, instead, he feints his next move. Initially, he makes it appear as if he's going to switch to an overhead strike at a rapid speed, but in less than a blink, it switches to an underside strike, sweeping the ground with a large gash before angling it up to strike along Law's middle.]

[This time isn't skill that saves him, but haki, that instinctive flash that if he doesn't move in the right direction he's going to be slashed wide open. Law sucks in a quick breath as his shoulders move to counter, the length of his nodachi proving all the difference between success and death as he angles it to catch the strike and let it screech all the way up the blade. He disengages with a quick stutter-step back and goes into a defensive stance for a second or two, eyes scanning his opponent for hints before choosing his offense.

Law comes in for another sequence as fast as he can move that long blade, reversing his grip for the very last swing and cutting outward before jabbing it straight back in. It's almost a blind hit, half behind him, but he's already moving to get himself out of the range of any follow-up from Yukari. This fight definitely has him breathing hard, now, pushed far more than he would be against monsters.]

[Truly impressive. Yukari's eyes widen a bit as the blades screech. But it's followed by a dark smirk.

And it's instantaneous that he has to dodge back from Law, unable to get in a proper angle edgewise. Admittedly, he wasn't expecting Law to be this much of a challenge, but it has been thoroughly exciting thus far.

But that wonderful block along Yukari's blade, that gave him the glimpse he was seeking. So, once Law's fury of blows are over, he resumes a defensive stance set in a fencer's pose. His smirk never fades.]

I'll call that enough for now. I've seen what I desired. You win your information.

[And he'll wait for Law to lower his blade before putting his away. Just in case Law has the urge to continue regardless of the prize being won.]

[Oh, well then. That seems easy enough. Law's whole body is committed to another charge but he breaks off with a quick jog to the side, lowering his sword.]

If you say so. What is it, then? What should I know?

[Yukari sheathes Ayamachi onto his back, then sets a hand on his hip as he leans to one side.]

The one who keeps records of information regarding the city is one by the name of Mello-chan. Some sources feed into it, but overall, if a normal person were to know all that had been attempted, he would be the one to ask. He could at least guide you where to look, if it's kept.

[Law frowns deeply at the answer and then turns to go and find where he threw Kikoku's saya. He could have probably figured that out for himself, if he bothered to investigate - Mello's name is on the newbie guide, after all. Was this any faster than just looking around for himself?]

Yeah. [flatly] Thanks.

[Not even a little faster. But Yukari got a good run out of you, anyway. It's not his fault you were so easily baited.

And, of course, Yukari's response is an airy chuckle.]

Of course. Fair trade, after all.

You are an interesting warrior. Maybe would should go all out next time. I'm curious as to what you held back, now.

[he'll blame it on the sleep deprivation - it's a handy excuse]

Probably something similar to what you held back. It's good to know how to fight without abilities, but using one takes things up a notch.

[aha, there you are, saya. He slides the blade home with a click and shoulders the nodachi as usual]

I suppose that was enough exercise that maybe I can sleep, now.

So you could tell. I'm impressed. Very well, then. I look forward to our next little competition.

Call me if you have anymore insomnia bouts, hmm?

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In the dead of night [video]

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