LtCmdr. Talos Dakora - Thwack
Travis
((Gymnasium, Deck 4 - USS Artemis-A))
Talos and Genkos stood across from each other on the Tassa’akai mat. Both had donned the stretchy bodysuits commonly used for the sport and held their collapsible akai at the ready.
Having just botched an attempted hip strike that the doctor had been able to read and parry with ease, Talos knew he had some cobwebs he needed to shake off.
Dakora: ~ Thought I had you for sure. ::He beckoned him forward with his off hand.:: Let’s see what you’ve got. ~
Genkos raised an eyebrow as mischief sparkled in his eyes. Talos felt his voice inside his mind in reply.
Adea: ~ You’re on. ~
Talos felt the shift before he saw it. The Artemis Medical Chief moved toward him with purpose— first a half-step, his gaze locked somewhere on his upper torso. Talos felt the other man’s intent radiating in a carefully curated pulse. A bluff. Talos knew it even as he tensed to defend it.
Then came the surge, and at the last second, Genkos seemed to shift his focus to a hip strike. Confident that he’d been right, Talos dropped his akai to ward off the strike just in time to see the Doc’s baton swinging toward its original target. He tried a last-second dodge, but Genkos clipped his upper arm with a sharp, glancing blow.
Thwack!
Dakora: ::He grunted involuntarily as an expletive slipped free from his mind.:: ~ Sket! ~
Regaining his composure, squared up his stance once again, hoping to land a counter strike, but Genkos, emboldened by his strike, twirled away and out of his reach. It would’ve been a graceful maneuver if he hadn’t nearly lost his balance near the edge of the mat.
Adea: ~ Nearly ~
As Genkos turned to face him once again, Talos rolled his smarting shoulder once, exaggerated for effect, and slid his off-leg back just a little for leverage.
Dakora: ~ Are we dancing or fighting? ~ ::He grinned wrly:: ~ That’s one point; You. ~
They were just getting started, but already Talos was getting a feel for Genkos’ ability– and the way his mind felt when he was bluffing or not. The game would only get more interesting from here.
Adea: Response
Talos twirled his akai once, flexing his wrist and dipping it low toward the mat, all the while feeling around the edges of his opponent's mind, looking for an opening — any little shift in his attention or flickers of thought that he couldn’t quite suppress.
Pushing hard off his back foot, Talos stayed low, focusing his attention on a probing strike across the side of Genkos’ knee, his mind broadcasted curiosity, questioning the Doc’s reaction time and speed, already seeing the other akai moving into a blocking position. Before they could clash, Talos twisted mid-step, pivoting into a spin that brought his akai into a glancing blow across his ribs as he nearly dodged.
Dakora: ~ Ok, so a little dancing does work. ~
Adea: Response
The match continued on in a blur of motion, rhythm, and some mild telepathic trash-talk. Deliberate moves and sharp feints evolved into something more fluid as each of them learned the other's style and tempo.
Their akai clashed against the other, thudded into flesh, or whistled through the air harmlessly over and over. As the score climbed, so did their heart rates. Sweat dripped onto the mat, joints ached, stances began to falter, and the once-playful telepathic banter between them grew quieter, as the stakes felt higher and higher.
Then, it was 10 to 10, with the match point on the line.
Once again, Talos stood across from Genkos, now on the opposite side of the mat he’d started from. His breathing was controlled but heavier than it had been as sweat ran freely down his brow.
Dakora: ~ All comes down to this point. ~ ::He wiped sweat from his brow with the back of his off hand and shrugged.:: ~ Kinda makes all the other times we hit each other feel a little pointless, doesn’t it? ~
Adea: Response
((OOC: Apologies for the delay on this one! Will follow up quickly as we push toward the conclusion!))
TAG/TBCLtCmdr. Talos Dakora
USS Artemis-A
O238811CD0