adregem | 000 - voidtreckerexpress Universal Contact Post

You the same guy who told me to get better hobbies, or what?

[ The air begins to charge with as much dynamism as both of them offer one another, playing off of that energy that's ready to release at any moment. Roland knows Tidus is going to give it his best regardless of training or sparring, and he's quick. Quicker than Roland is, but if his practice rounds with Reno have been any indication, he can take it better these days. He'll just have to show Tidus he's gotten better too. Somehow.

Plus, if that fancy sword work isn't going to get Roland's blood pumping, then nothing will. He watches the expert trick, the flick of the wrist that sends his blade dangerously high until he catches it like it was nothing...Impressive, but he's not going to affirm that. Not when he's ready for the fight - spar - himself, a sword emerging from his hammerspace in a similar flash of light. The Cat King's Claw for today, simple and precise. Roland smirks, and readies himself with knees bent, one for support, the other ready to catapult towards Tidus in an instant. Arms raised to the sides of his face, hilt gripped tight. ]

Don't you worry. I've never held back on you and I'm not about to start now. [ No tricks either. Higgledies are kept way back, with instructions made in silence: zero interference. ] You ready for this?

[ Rock 'n roll baby, it's the battle of one-liners - and he dashes forward with all the strength of his left thigh to give him the boost, clashing blades or missing entirely, only to adjust from behind. ]

[ A head-on clash is where Roland can outmatch Tidus with enough wits, be it Tidus's fault he didn't spend his younger life learning to wield the blade than playing sports. But that's exactly where Tidus meets him, his blade as well angled where it needs to be for the grind of metals searching for that advantage. Roland isn't the only guy that's been training, though this isn't a particular dance Tidus wants to stay in. ]

Ha! [ And that's not his objective, jumping back a step and going in for the swing again, and again -- the third time the charm he was aiming for when he brings down the brotherhood's hook end to grab Roland's blade in its teeth, yank it to a side. But he's not looking to disarm him, but to use a brief opening, the access to Roland, and a better weapon of his he knows to control than any sword: himself.

And his two feet coming to together in a jump, slamming out both legs together in a kick directly to the young-old man's chest. How about that, Mister President. ]

[ He's being forced into the defensive, whereas before Tidus would hit him once then fall back, or revert to his tactic of trying to disorient his opponents before hitting them with a time spell. Roland's observed enough training sessions with him to know he seems to be more confident when he has the distance as an upper-hand, versus the proximity Roland expects of close-range combat. But here he's shocked at the quick steps, the sudden tug at his weapon that he definitely doesn't see coming after a flurry of slashes and strikes. No wonder Tidus kept those attacks light; it's only experience that saves Roland from meeting a double kick to the chest, knocking the air out of him had he not angled his body immediately to the side. The motion akin to curling up to the right, so his arm takes the kick...but it's not fast enough. His shoulder becomes collateral damage to, and the force pushes him all the way back, digging his heels into the floor with little traction to stop him from toppling backwards.

Roland winces quietly and shakes it off, brandishing his weapon once to the side before resuming position. Roland ignores the flowering ache that begins to develop in the side that absorbs Tidus's blow, or how he's come to realize he should have just taken that attack by the chest since his arms are now compromised.

Someone's definitely been practicing, and it's dawning on him how serious he has to take this sportsman now. Roland smirks. ]

Not playing around, huh? Good. Me neither.

[ Not to be outdone, he runs towards Tidus already on the offensive just as before. Only now, he attacks with a plan in mind: three, four-slash combos with every move pushing Tidus back against the edge of his blade, each one more decisive than the last, until he sees an opening. That hook of Tidus's sword is dangerous, but Roland meets it head on, using what he thinks is his advantage against him. Angling his blade diagonally, Roland deliberately catches the Claw against the tip of Tidus's sword. Gripping the hilt of his own weapon tighter than ever, Roland grits his teeth and pulls, hopefully dislodging or loosening Tidus's hold on his own weapon from the momentum. ]

[ Feet find the floor easy, and while there's a nudge to his weapon from the blow Roland takes, it's easy for Tidus to keep his weapon without a fight, perhaps missing an opportunity to disarm his opponent. But Tidus takes what he can get, such as the rising adrenaline already in his limbs, the knowledge that Roland wasn't going to go down with a knock like that - but it's good for waking the both of them up.

And indeed, Roland's waking up.

Tidus should expect to get here, and he does: the close-range of two sword-fighters that he's worked hard to learn to answer, at being more decisive about predicting the swing of a blade; where it's likely aiming for, how to respond. Still, he's learning how to answer to further to an offensive attack, and so he's forced back, kept on the defensive, his previous tactic used against him as Roland slides his blade for control of his. When their eyes meet, there's a smile in them; there in the lift of his lips as well, though harder to find in the rows of teeth clenched, more prominent than his mouth.

He thinks, and he needs to think fast--and he plays a gamble this close in, one that relies on Roland's reflexes to recover slower than his.

Because Tidus does conjure an answer for this close in, what he can give. Nothing changes in their blades, but that smile is lost in the shift of his brow coming down, and Roland may realise from other times before it comes: the small burst of air, the harder thrust of Tidus's blade against Roland's that brings the the shock of a stun, but no further than the limbs and hands holding the blade, shorter than even a second. Roland isn't giving him the room for a stronger spell, and Tidus isn't as adept at magic-casting and fighting simultaneously as he deceives; but relying on the stun isn't what he's going for, but the inch he wants to take a mile from it.

That half a second is what Tidus wants to let him use the entire momentum of his body swinging out his blade in a full circle diagonally, a blue blur of energy to strengthen it further.

But there's a few seconds when he's done that Tidus is with his weapon down, trying to recover to a swing of a blade not as strong a slash as it could be - or his fancy circular strike could have been countered, when even with the energy put into the spinning slash, the pressure of Roland's parry absorbed some of his speed, how hard Tidus could switch from defence to offence if he hadn't been pre-occupied before it. ]

[ The thrill of a fight is determined in the way your opponent reacts to what you do. Roland doesn't enjoy fighting per se, but there's an exhilarating feeling of knowing you're being taken seriously, and that every swing of his blade could determine the outcome of the battle. Even in a spar, he wants to take every moment to be better, to learn more, to hone skills that have saved him time and time again. It's this steely resolve that gives him the chance to brace for the counterstrike, his move to disarm not quite meeting the intended goal but showing Roland just enough to predict the formation of magic. He's not pulling punches, and he respects such a determination with his own, absorbing the blow for whatever it hurts him with as his sword takes it in, shakes his arms but otherwise, resists.

He knows the feeling of being stunned. He knows what it's like to feel the full force of one too, where nothing seems to move except the seconds that tick by without him. So this - this wasn't Tidus connecting the spell to his sword. He's pushed back some inches away, but his eyes don't drift, focused and steady on one person in this room and on him alone. The moment presents itself to the patient, and soon enough, Roland is offered a reprieve from Tidus's onslaught. That split second recovery is all he needs to rush, his sword at a horizontal swing but this is where he tests something new.

Where once he would stop at one half-arc, he takes a 180-turn, mimicking the shape of a full moon risen high in the night sky. It's a pivot using the ball of one foot and the momentum of the previous slash, and he does this twice, with the second swing made lower in the hopes that Tidus is caught too unaware that he can't prevent Roland from aiming for his calves to have him fall straight down to the floor.

And should it prove effective, it won't be the tip of Roland's sword that meets Tidus's eye: in a switch quicker than the common eye can see, he would have his pistol out, aimed yet still on safety, his finger off the trigger, though all the same forcing him to a hopeful draw. ]

[ oh what the fuck did you just use his double swing against him there, pal

Because that seems to be what happens, and what does. Tidus doesn't have the time to put his full strength into his block when the first slash comes, but still he tries to put something up. He's pushed back more than he has been before, caught in a place of being aware and yet off-guard, his block not having the strength in it it needs to fully absorb the attack coming at him.

So maybe he got too cocky, playing too close when he's better left for staying out of danger. That'll be his bitter pill to swallow after he's been knocked to the floor, the hard greeting of the floor an old friend for him. Sure, the gun in view above is something entirely new, but Tidus greets it with a familiar expression of exasperation when his eyes open to see it.

A breath releases from his body, his gaze flat. ]

Yeah yeah, death number blah blah blah.

[ It's an inside joke, sometimes mumbled during his training sessions whenever he ends up in this predicament. He's died a lot, you see. ]

I could get out of this.

[ Roland smirks slowly, though to his defense he does try to stop himself from outright grinning. The progress has been delayed somewhat, and the enemies from the last mission didn't do much for him in terms of challenge. But seeing himself in action and actually getting an intended result is astounding in its own right. ]

Oh yeah?

[ And it can only get better from here. Whereas he would usually attempt some small talk, idle chatter as he offers a hand for Tidus to grip onto to stand, today he does neither of these things. Roland continues to stare down at his sparring partner, determination rolling off of him in waves despite the steadiness in his voice, or the caliber of his pistol that remains where it is, arm unmoving. Literally staring down the barrel of a gun. ]

How? Tell me. Show me. I want to know how you would counter this when your enemy is half a second away from the trigger.

[ It's exciting. They're getting better. They're all getting better. ]

Edited 2021-02-20 16:41 (UTC)

[ Tidus looks up at the sight, the weapon a singular contained shape from where he views it, more circular and barrel than any of the rest. The confident and cool eye that Roland gives him from beyond it. His own expression not shifting much, beyond the inner crease of his brow. ]

Easy, [ he replies.

In actuality, it's all about one factor: his enemy being a friend who won't actually stop him.

Because a friend may or may not allow him to make the obvious movement that he does - that is, any at all. On one hand, the control of his body is impressive: he smacks his palms down flat on the floor and in the move, boosts up his body, and kicks his feet into a backwards flip from their resting spot, meaning to kick the weapon and/or hands in the same motion meant to help backflip him back into a standing position.

With very little prep or hassle, Tidus knows how to be in control of his own body, weight and balance.

But on the other hand, even Tidus's speed wouldn't have allowed him to dodge a bullet. But how would have Roland reacted? Would he have thought to shoot - or to do anything else to get out of the way or impede Tidus? ]

Easy, huh?

[ Roland can't coddle them. He takes the same route he chose when he said he would kneel for but one king and his fledgling kingdom; and that meant any opportunity Roland would get to train and teach, he will take gratefully. He does something very few people would expect, and it's only because he's an experienced marksman that such a thing is possible without harm. He won't hurt Tidus, never intends to ever, but in this scenario, Roland shoots. The moment his opponent flips away, he's already centered his core, forcing his arms to brace and pushing down against the motion of feet attempting to draw the gun upwards. It's not a powerful enough motion that Roland can't re-aim the caliber, removing the gun from safety, and shooting the floor where Tidus lands, right by his feet. It's a loud, ringing sound in such an enclosed space, but he's so used to it that even as he takes aim and fires, Tidus would be in no safer hands than his.

There's something to be gained by it, anyhow. So as soon as it registers that he did fire a shot, Roland lowers the gun immediately to the floor. ]

You're good at looking the part, I'll give you that much. But it's too showy. And you made a fatal error of trading off your tactical advantage against me.

[ It's in these moments where the natural inclination to mentor comes out without meaning to; wanting to exchange expertise but at the same time, seeing where Tidus could improve if he were to face off against Roland, or anyone like him, in the near future. They're rarely on the same team on missions, after all. So the way Roland approaches this is incredibly sincere. ]

A lot of people think that when they're facing down an assailant with a gun, they have to get as far away as possible. [ He shakes his head, speaking earnestly to Tidus with an unwavering gaze. ] On the contrary, that kind of move will make it easier to shoot you. [ Roland nudges the weapon side to side, though it still faces the floor. ] This is a long-ranged weapon. Don't give me distance, stay up close and personal. Here.

[ He glances at the gun and in three swift motions, strips the gun out of its magazine leaving only the large coil of the grappling hook hanging to the side. The unnecessary parts are pocketed in his pants. Only then does Roland aim the gun back at Tidus, though his free hand beckons him to come forward. ]

If you ever find yourself in the same situation again, don't run away from it. Face it head on because most likely than not, the guy holding the gun is too cocky to think you'll actually fight back. Show them they're wrong. Take your hand, palms out. Just like that. And push my grip to the side, all the way. Not enough to twist.

[ Roland does this patiently, guides him if the instruction is confusing. Shows him how to do it with a brief demonstration as needed. ] Then, you pinch by the wrist, and wrangle this thing out of my hand and away from you. It's not fancy but it works and that's all that matters in that moment. [ Roland waits until Tidus is able to actually kick his pistol out of his hand, disarm him however he took such guidance, before he nods pleasantly, walking over to the discarded gun. ]

Then, you can do a flip and a kick. Understand?

[ He wants to work with Tidus's strengths and not against them; admiring them for the athleticism, but knowing there are gaps needing to be filled. Tidus's speed is his asset, apart from his controlled movements. If he wanted to disarm Roland, he would be able to do it faster than he could watch. He just needed the way to do it. ]

[ If the point of the shot is to get Tidus to dance, he does, feet startling and bouncing back to get away. Uncool! But it's better than a shot going off as he was getting up - who knows if he wouldn't have gotten startled and not even made it up through the attempt?

He huffs, a breath that lifts and lowers his chest sharply, a 'hey!' that he follows up with a hand swiping at the air. Not for the accusation of being showy, since he can't deny that (but, no reason to own up to it, either). Tidus sits a hand on his side as Roland goes on, keeping quiet up to the point of Roland wanting him to start taking on a particular pose and position. ]

How's this supposed to help me from the ground? Kicking was my best shot! Maybe if I rolled into you...

[ He tries to work out his options, gaze distracted with the ground before Roland's feet, looking at his legs to figure it out. He knew how to handle his own weight, but how well could he throw himself forward? Maybe he needed to roll-?

oh wait, Roland's trying to run a demonstration here, isn't he. ]

[ He sighs inwardly, but otherwise remains rooted in place. ]

Come on. Concentrate.

[ Roland comes closer to Tidus and resumes pointing the defunct gun as if they were still in position. ]

If you threw yourself at me, you'd still be in a vulnerable position. Never assume your opponent doesn't have more than one trick up their sleeve. [ An idea hits. ] How about this? You can still kick. Just make sure that whatever it is you do, on the floor or standing, you get this - [ Roland shakes the weapon in his grip once. ] out of your face. Do whatever you can so the barrel of this gun isn't aiming anywhere near you, especially your head. Makes sense?

[ He doesn't move in case Tidus might want to try out a technique of his own. Far be it for Roland to be the guy to discourage a more creative way to disarm enemies; so he stands as he is and watches for Tidus's next big brain move. ]

That's what I was trying to do! [ UGHHH, Roland is so judgy! Tidus settles back down onto his butt, as if getting back into the position he was before the kick. Except- ] But then I missed. And now I'm dead. You really gonna stand there and pick on a dead guy?

[ Is that your style, Roland? It sure is Tidus's style to bicker needlessly, sitting cross-legged for about five seconds before he decides screw it, and gets right back up. ]

Let's just start over. Or do you want me to practice disarming you now?

[ #thing roland has been speaking about for a minute or two now ]

Yes. I'm going to stand here and pick on a dead guy.

[ For whatever charged energy Tidus throws at him, Roland meets it with a well-practiced, if not perfectly veiled, patience. He merely nods, a twitch of his lip that doesn't quite make a smile. ]

Your move. I'm excited to see what you'll do, pro. Remember, you're way faster than I am. Use it against me.

[ He makes a disgruntled face at Roland's heartlessness at his deadness, a mood befitting the sulking disposition Tidus has going here. Roland is so cruel. Roland is a buuutttttttt.

But alright, fine, he has to disarm Roland, is it? It only seems fair to go with what Roland was taking the time to talk about when it comes to the gun. He makes a rising gesture with both of his hands. ]

Put it up.

[ Let's do this, let's do this. Tidus vaguely remembers Roland talking about pushing at his arm, but if the ultimate goal is to get out of the line of fire, to get the assailant dazed and to get the upper hand...

There's a frown that spreads across his lips, a squeeze of both hands into fists that don't stick. Like a second of prep, and then he dashes - swifter than a human, more than just an ordinary speed. This close, without magic or extraordinary talents, it'll be hard to react to the spin that Tidus takes to Roland's side (he likes his spins, what can he say), the leg that kicks up, foot aimed for the hand that holds the gun, fingers and all that might be on the trigger.

It's true, that speed is his asset -- so can't he use the speed training he's learnt from Piccolo for this exact circumstance, mixing Roland's lesson with the namek's? ]

[ The move is a success, but Roland could have predicted that even without the execution. Tidus was riled up, and by experience, the more he puts his mind into doing something, especially when it's presented as a challenge, the more he seems to focus on getting it right.

The gun clatters to the floor after a rising arc in the air, slower than Tidus's actual sweeping roundhouse. It affords Roland very little time to react, defend, what more to pull out a weapon to counterattack? No, he's caught very much off-guard, eyes slightly widened and shoulders braced for an impact that doesn't come. Instead, it's the phantom force that shocks him to take three steps back, left leg kicked behind him to try and lessen the recoil. His arm is raised to his chest instead, but the form he presents is precisely the idea behind getting an opponent disarmed from their gun so you can move as you need to. He's vulnerable, and it shows. ]

[ To that, Roland smiles widely, nodding to Tidus once before straightening up and crossing his arms over his chest. A gesture made out of approval. ]

That's it, pro. Very good. Impressive reflexes as expected. I'm completely defenseless.

[ He's also no stranger to moves that look faster than the eye can keep up - the Ding Dong Discipline method part of his arsenal too - but even that doesn't quite slow time the way Tidus almost reappeared in front of him for that kick. Roland's still smiling, watching him keenly. ]

How did you do that? It looked like you just disappeared completely. I couldn't find you at all.

[ He jumps back after the display, a leg half-risen prepped and ready if necessary. But he hears the clatter, and Tidus lets his posture ease, a wide grin flourishing on his face as he sees the expression Roland wears.

aww yeah. ]

You need your eyes checked? [ Heh! ] I've been learning from Piccolo. You seen the way that guy moves? Now that's disappearing. [ He wasn't on the level as that guy, not at all. But he was getting somewhere with his speed, not relying on magic to power it. Though, really, the two weren't so different in a sense. ]

I can do a few moves like that, but it isn't fun to bring out if you can't keep up. [ He shakes his head, hands coming out - and he remembers his empty hand, the blade forgotten on the floor that maaaybe he should go to pick up now. Let him just do that. ]

'less you wanna have a go? But if a fast guy tries attacking you, I'll take them out first!

[ Tidus, the usual team purple stayer guy. Sure. ]

Can't keep up, huh?

[ Maybe it's the overall mood of the training session that gets Roland to wonder if he can show off too...Especially to a guy as quick as Tidus, someone who's so used to using speed to an advantage...Roland stays silent until the decision is made inwardly. Determined eyes meeting blue, his weapon suddenly dissolving until the sword returns to his grip, his stance back in position. ]

[ Let's see how I fare with a real challenge like this. ]

Hit me again. Like you mean it. Like you're going in for the kill. [ It's an intense ask, but Roland just smiles at him, ready to take it. ] Don't hold back, okay? It won't work if you do.

[ He needs to feel the rush. Just like when Reno tried to hurt him badly then, tried to maim him and Inigo in Irivar - it has to be that intense. If they can get it even to a fraction of that...he could stand a chance to match this speed. ]

Whoa-oa-oa- [ It comes out at the end of a laugh, blade picked back up into Tidus's hand, the quick steps he takes back done so with a hop, like hot coals sit underneath his feet. A guy that can find a way to put some extra moving into moving. ] You sure you can handle that? What if I get your hair?

[ Go in for the kill--sure, sure, Tidus believes that. A playful smile on his face, his limbs looser than they were before. He can feel his body warmed up with that earlier move. ]

Inigo'll cry if I hurt you. Then what?

[ But he wouldn't try, even without that outcome. Still, he can tease about it some to the guy looking as ready as ever now opposite him. ]

[ He flashes him a sharp smirk, confident even if he fails. It's about the demonstration of skill, Roland thinks. Not necessarily the besting thereof. So he doesn't move, steady like a tree. Meeting that dynamic playfulness with a still ease, the look in his eye that bounces off of a more youthful grin from his sparring partner. This was fun indeed. ]

Inigo's not gonna cry, because you're not gonna hurt me. Not by a long shot.

[ It's an empty one-liner. But it's also reflective of how much trust he's given Tidus to even say such a thing, meaning in two different strokes. That he literally wouldn't hurt Roland despite the guise of a killing move, and he wouldn't hurt him because he'd control himself just as Roland would do the same for him. ]

I wanna test my fastest trump card against the fastest pro this side of the void. Come on. Help out a pal.

[ He has to wonder just what Roland is thinking, knows that he won't find out without playing along. And isn't that why they're here? Tidus assumes he wants to see more of that - the speed learned from Piccolo, perhaps not best utilised.

But, alright. Tidus doesn't keep Roland waiting, a shift of his arms in place of a proper shrug, legs next to get moving again with his feet. ]

Alright, you asked for it...

[ A move, a move - he knows what to go for, if Roland wants speed. There's one that he's got the energy for, the jogging on the spot increasing in pace for a few seconds before Tidus jumps forward - and comes in as quick as before. He isn't capable of vanishing from one's vision like Piccolo, but he can still come in faster than one would call natural, feet both thrusting out for a kick. But one aiming to use Roland like a spring board than a heftier weight put behind it, as Tidus ascends, twisting in the air and then becoming a spinning wheel on his way down, his blade ready to be met and to possibly knock back.

But Roland's assessment of Tidus rings true, the same as Tidus had taken of the older man. He doesn't descend on Roland directly from above but to the edges of him, springing back onto his feet and attempting to push Roland aside through his velocity and swing than by aiming for anywhere vital.

Like you're going in for the kill--as if Tidus knows how to do that, to someone he doesn't want to. ]

[ Roland admits he wasn't prepared for such a display. All he expected was to see speed - but not the how of it, not packaged this way in a spin that pivots his entire body in motions Roland can't detect. But he doesn't flinch or move, keeping himself so utterly focused until all he can hear is the sound of his own breath. It feels like he shouldn't be doing this - closing his eyes and waiting for the very last minute as if he's ready to take the full brunt of his push to the side. Was Roland's plan to get hit all along?

It almost seems that way, for a brief minute. But this is precisely what the move he wanted to show Tidus needed to work. Evan was much better at it, of course. The move was formulated by the maidens who guarded the Tildrum line for centuries, so perhaps the affinity was natural. But Roland realizes it's because Evan is more willing to turn his head off - to sacrifice the safety of distance for the sake of power - whereas he thinks to hard on what would happen if the move didn't work. His time on the train might have changed that instinct somewhat. He's used it once on Reno before, and now...He hopes he's gotten good enough to impress. ]

'Got it.'

[ His energy ebbs and flows in a rising peak that falls just as high as it climbs. Time seems to stop for Roland. Or more accurately, it slows in a move that could potentially interest his temporary opponent whose affinity to time is stronger than Roland's. When he opens his eyes, Tidus is just seconds away - inches away - from touching him. He needs it to be so, suddenly disappearing...except he isn't quite as good as his king who performs the Ding Dong Discipline to a more expert level. So instead of Roland nowhere to be found, he outmaneuvers Tidus's fall by creating an afterimage in the illusioned veil of manipulating time. Except no such magic happens, and it's simply as the discipline describes: evading at the very last moment so that a foe can be caught completely off-guard at the price of risking your own safety.

If the move succeeds and Roland doesn't quite trip on his own two feet, Tidus won't be pushing him at all, his hands meeting air. Roland will instead, be a few feet away, barrel rolled to a distance where his disassembled gun points at Tidus though there is no real danger to be had. He's smiling though, heaving breaths with the arc of his chest gasping for air. It's a difficult move when you haven't used it in so long...and there are no Sixth Censers to be had to help him out. ]

I asked for what, now? Heh.

[ The bravado falters as he feels himself grow a bit weary from the strain, a shuffle of his feet that leaves him off-balance for a few seconds. But it doesn't last, shaking it off with a hand to his head. ]

Not as smooth as yours, but it'll do in a pinch, wouldn't you say?

[ There isn't time for Tidus to react in a move like this, to change its course. As he spins downward, all Tidus can respond to is the nothing he meets, the lack of it and plan accordingly. Capable of knowing just when to find the ground with his feet, to upright himself, the same first touch of surface being the one to push himself back as he's one to do. Go in, get out -- his parrying up close still has weaknesses, but his ability to get out is never lacking.

Still, it doesn't mean he knows where Roland is. And so he doesn't really find him 'til once he has the moment to process more than reflexes, the man standing some space away, gun pointed. And there's something--bizarre about it. The space, the way Roland's breathing. It's not unreasonable to think that Roland could have moved, but at the same time, Tidus's brow is stitched, trying to interpret events he didn't really see. ]

Grav con? [ The guess comes out unsure. Why then the exertion? Roland shouldn't look tired. ] What did you do?

Nope.

[ He's still not totally stable, breathing ragged and catching up with the effort of the move, but it's because he has nothing to replenish it with. It was easier back home. Nevertheless, Roland grants Tidus a satisfied smile. ]

It's one of the Martial Method disciplines. Special moves. This one comes from the lineage that made up Evan's ancestral guardianship. [ One deep inhale, then exhale. Okay, he's back. ] I can't use it often without replenishing energy, but it helps to turn the tables from tough foes.

[ There's a dizziness creeping up from the periphery. Just kidding. He'll walk over to the nearest wall to sit down for a second. ] Gave you a run for your money, at least. Heh.

[ So Roland's packing some secret moves in that wrong-aged body of his, is he? He's curious, about how long he's known to use it, but his curiosity turns a little cheeky, if impressed underneath the curl of the grin. ]

For one second! You gotta practice it more, get used to it. I could pick up the speed now and take you down now! [ ...granted, he's sitting, but that's not what he's saying here.

And it's not just about showing off, as he goes on. ] Why do you think I don't just pull out my coolest moves from the start? You need to get your blood going, get used to moving and building it up. How often you practicing that?

[ He steadies his breathing by closing his eyes and counting to three before exhaling. It works, to a great extent; a smirk quirked on his lip as he listens to the guy sat next to him now. ]

Not that often, I'll admit. But I'm not sure how I'll be able to practice without the proper resources. [ Roland turns his head slightly to meet Tidus's eye. ] You can only improve with Manuals of the Maiden, which we study back at the barracks in the kingdom. Plus, it's a move that needs me to replenish the energy spent after using it. It'll be more effective if I can actually do what the move is meant for, which is to attack repeatedly while the target isn't aware I'm not in front of them anymore.

[ He waves his hand around lamely, before setting it down against his lap. His other leg lifted and bent, arm over his knee. ]

But I guess there's no harm in getting myself more built for the speed. You guys make it look easy, eh? Heh.

[ Which is an understatement. Roland knows you can only get at that level with constant practice. ]

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