Dotanuki rolls his eyes and stretches in the other direction. If he won, what would he even want? It's obvious that Mutsunokami has an idea of what he wants though, but would he win? It's possible. The uchigatana was fast and smart, even if he didn't hit nearly as hard as Dotanuki did. It was possible that he was going to have to do whatever Mutsu asked.
...But that was the fun of a bet, wasn't it?
He straightens and starts stretching his back out.]
Alright. You're on.
But in that case, I'm not holdin' anythin' back, got it?
( There's a look on his face, like Dotanuki just rained on his parade with that last part of the deal. Does he want to commit to this? Is he going to back out? Now's the time if ever, right? Instead, he shakes his head to clear his mind of any doubt and nods his once in affirmation, )
Fine, ya're on! ( If he can't hit Dotanuki as hard as he should, he'll make up for it. They're already in his element more or less. He can make this happen! ) I won't either! So no whinin` from ya either, got it?
( And he's drawing his sword now! )
Normally I'd fire a starting round but... heh! ( No guns. He's all for bending the rules but you really can't practice with a gun, especially a real one. ) Ready whenever!
[Dotanuki pulls his sword from its sheath and leaves the sheath behind for now, setting up against a tree. Then he turns back and grins, dropping into his stance.]
Fine with me. Let's do this!
[He doesn't wait since he can tell Mutsu is ready. After a slight pause to account for an imaginary referee telling them to ready themselves, he shoots forward, swinging upward across the body.]
( If there's one thing Mutsu is truly used to in a fight, it's aggression. His most common partners are the Shinsengumi swords and more than one had reason to not hold back against him. Knowing Dotanuki, he doesn't expect him to anything other than go all out right from the get go.
He could shift into defensive mode right now, try to get Dotanuki to wear himself out in the long run but what good is defense against a heavy hitter unless you have the stamina to slow them down? Mutsu doesn't have it-- at least, not against a strong sword like Dotanuki. He also knows he can't match Dotanuki in terms of aggressive strength alone so that only leaves speed; finish this quickly and smartly.
He can see Dotanuki's attack-- coming right for his front and Mutsu doesn't wear heavy armor at all. He raises his sword to catch Dotanuki's against his blade. He'll then try to apply as much pressure as he can, as if he's trying to get Dotanuki to step back and lose ground! Only at the last moment, he'll shift his stance and try to slide away, hopefully using any momentum of Dotanuki's against him so that he can deliver a straight attack, right at Dotanuki's side. )
[Their blades cross and Dotanuki can feel the pressure being applied. It isn't as strong as when he goes up against the tachi. They rely on the length of their blade and their strength a lot more than the uchigatana do. He's used to those pushes, and so this one feels weaker in comparison.
He pushes back, knowing that in overall brute strength he has Mutsunokami beat, but also knowing that any smart sword wouldn't rely on that strength to defeat a stronger opponent. Mutsunokami was anything but stupid and so it isn't a complete surprise when Dotanuki feels the sword shift under the pressure. Unfortunately, he'd been pushing hard and now he has to twist to avoid the attack aimed at his side. He feels the tip catch against something and then it slices through the fabric of his gi, a clean cut. He jumps back and then spins, bringing his blade back up to fake another slash before he jabs the sword straight forward.]
( It's a good feeling when you're the one that's delivered the first blow. It makes you feel like you're starting the fight off on the right foot and all that's left is to find the flow of battle and keep up from there. He can't get too comfortable, though! Dotanuki will surely recover-- and indeed, he does-- and that's why he needs to stay on top of his game right now.
If there's one thing he has over Dotanuki, it's speed. He knows he can move faster and he knows he can strike faster at the cost of having a shorter reach. He could pull back now, put space between them, and seek out a higher ground, or he could move in for the strike when he has an opening--
At least, he had an opening. A feint in response to a feint, huh? )
Waugh! Hey, hey! ( He sounds like he was caught off guard but he isn't complaining, just expressing his surprise the way he tends to. He's an expressive spirit.
The attack comes right at him and he knows he won't be able to avoid it, not without putting himself wide open for a second, more dangerous attack. The most he can do is try to minimize it, turning his body again to avoid the worst of the attack. Blade cuts through cloth and cuts skin. It isn't a deep cut but it's one all the same. ) My turn!
( They're pretty close now, aren't they? Close enough for Mutsu to try a vertical slash this ti-- nah, just kidding, he's giving Dotanuki a good, hard kick right in the knee cap right now and is going to retreat over to that bench. Come after him. )
[He misses, but if he'd been able to take Mutsunokami with that blow, then this wouldn't have been a good fight. Still, it's good to draw first blood - which he's sure he has from the smell of copper in the air. He's about to turn and get out of the way of a potential incoming attack when the unthinkable happens.
He'd been preparing for a sword attack. That, he could have blocked - either with the armor on his hands, or something else.
What he gets is a kick in the knee that drops him to the ground.]
NNGH!!
[Translation of that which was said through grit teeth? "You little shit!"
He has to stop and grab his knee, which means it's lucky for him that Mutsu chose flight over fight. He should have expected something like this, but, well, no one expects to get kneecapped in a sword fight. After a moment of rubbing the offended joint, he turns his blade around and spots Mutsu by the bench.]
Alright, gloves are off!
[He starts after Mutsunokami again, running after him.]
( He's standing on the back of back of the bench now, one hand at his hip and some how managing to keep his balance just fine. )
Gahaha! I thought ya weren't holding back!
( If he could use his gun, now would be the point where he would begin shooting at Dotanuki but alas! Some restrictions are necessary. He'll wait for Dotanuki to catch up-- get a little closer and maybe even attack first. As it is now, Mutsu has the higher ground though so whatever move Dotanuki makes, he likes to think he'll be ready. )
[He won't dignify the jab with a response, not when Mutsunokami is standing on high ground and gloating over it. He can't really be mad though, the tactic was a good one and he can hardly say he hasn't done much the same himself. It's just a rust spot in a hard to reach place when it's his turn to be on the receiving end.
Just before Dotanuki comes within range, he drags a hand across the grass and grabs a clump of dirt. With one fluid movement, he sprays the bits of earth and grass at Mutsunokami and hopes it's enough to distract him as he goes for a full body tackle.]
( At first, he thinks Dotanuk's tripped and that's why he's going down for the ground but no--! No ! Ugh, that's such a Kanesada move and Mutsu raises a sleeve to his face to catch as much of the dirt as he can. Some of it still gets in his eyes but not enough to blind him. Luckily enough, this is a very Kanesada move so it isn't as effective as it would be against most other swords. He still can't see clearly but he knows what might happen next and he focuses his hearing and his instincts here.
He has the higher ground. Dotanuki will have to work to take him down but the point is, he knows Dotanuki is going to try anyway. He braces himself for impact, holding onto his sword with one hand so as to not drop it and reaching out to grab Dotanuki with his other one. If he's going down, then Dotanuki is going down with him.
As soon as they hit the ground, Mutsu will try to shake him off-- squirming, moving around, scratching, kicking, and doing whatever he can to make it difficult to hold onto. He'll get out of this. He's not the type to stay caught. )
[The impact is jarring, but there isn't time to recover because Mutsu is already brawling with him. Or maybe scrapping is the better term for it. While his stats are higher for mobility and speed, Dotanuki has sheer weight on his side and he struggles with Mutsu, trying to pin him down.
He didn't expect Mutsu to fight like a crazy cat though.]
You're gonna scratch my eyes out!
[He says as he tries to push a hand into Mutsu's face. Oops.]
( You do what you have to if you don't want to stay caught! )
Ya'll be oka--mmph!
( Don't whine, Dotanuki! You asked for this!!! Ah, but there's a faceful of hand and he tosses and turns his head to get it out of his way. But you know, with one hand in Mutsu's face, it must be a struggle to keep Mutsu down with just one arm. Dotanuki's other hand is probably holding onto his vessel as well as trying to keep him supported. This is good-- a little inconvenient with his head shoved into the ground or else he'd try to headbutt the heck out of Dotanuki right now but he can work with this.
With one hand-- the one not holding his sword-- he pushes against Dotanuki's chest, trying to keep Dotanuki as off of him as much as possible. With his other arm-- the one holding his sword-- he adjusts his hold just a bit aaaaand
For a moment, his scrapping and struggling subsides just enough to toss his sword behind Dotanuki. It's an awkward toss; the sword isn't going to go very far at all but it's away from the pair rolling on the ground and that's the important part.
It's reckless to toss his vessel aside like that but being a rebel's sword is risky business, isn't it? If it's just oe opponent, he'll take his chances! He's never been the best fighter but he's still a sword that can proudly say he's almost never been caught. He's good at escaping! With his now free hand, he balls it into a fist and aims a punch at Dotanuki's face just before there's that flash of light and burst of cherry blossoms which signifies a sword coming or leaving. From underneath Dotanuki, Mutsu demanifests.
Of course, he manifests again with his sword that short distance away. He's fast about this but not fast enough to properly re-arm himself. It's not enough time to pick his sword off the ground, but he can still put himself between it and Dotanuki, gun drawn and aimed at him. He'd never actually use it in a friendly match so Dotanuki is free to call his bluff right now. But man, if this was a real fight, this would be a bit of a compromising situation. )
[It is a struggle to keep Mutsu down, but it's one that Dotanuki is willing to accept because COME HERE YOU LITTLE TWERP. The fight is dirty but that's just fine with him so long as Mutsu actually fights. They're pushing at each other when Dotanuki feels something go by his side and then Mutsu is aiming a fist at his face. He jerks back to avoid it when the cherry blossoms explode inches from him and he knows what's happened. He's done something similar here before, but he never expected to have it happen to him. And no amount of grace or skill can help a body adjust to the sudden nothingness that opens beneath it when your opponent demanifests and disappears. Dotanuki turns to his side and hits the ground awkwardly, scrabbling to turn around and grab his sword again. He gets to his knees, swiveling in the dirt when he sees the barrel of a gun pointed right at him.
If this were a real fight, he'd be dead right now.
Instead, his lips tug up into a satisfied smirk at the sight of Mutsunokami trying to bluff him. He prefers this kind of fight. People who pull punches just because it was a spar annoyed him. The point of a spar was to get ready for battle, so why not fight like it was real?]
( Because guns are different, Dotanuki!! You can practice martial arts and swordsmanship with each other but guns are different!! He tries his best to look serious, catching his breath and keeping his arm steady on Dotanuki for a moment longer before lowering it just a bit. )
No way. ( You crazy?? He said he wouldn't use it! At least, not like that. ) This is serious.
( Not that he isn't taking this fight serioulsy but for all the scrapping and not pulling punches, it's still a friendly spar. And he gives Dotanuki a cocky sort of smile )
Hope ya're ready to treat me, though.
( Heh heh he already knows what he wants... he's ready... )
[He wouldn't begrudge him a shot or two! Even if it was just in the arm or like a leg or something!!! He can take it!! He's been shot with muskets.
When the gun lowers, Dotanuki narrows his eyes. So Mutsu thinks that just because he had him on the ropes, he's won? If he's not willing to finish the battle, then he can't say he's won at all!]
Yeah, yeah, I will be.
[If he won't use the gun, then there's still a few paces between him and his vessel. And now Dotanuki knows that other than pistol whipping him in the head, Mutsunokami is pretty much weaponless. He stands and then darts forward, aiming a punch at his face.]
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[He pauses in his stretches to arch an eyebrow at Mutsunokami. Wasn't sparring already fun?]
What d'you mean?
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( And there goes that smile- a no good conniving merchant' smile. )
Loser's gotta treat the winner. Winner picks how.
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Dotanuki rolls his eyes and stretches in the other direction. If he won, what would he even want? It's obvious that Mutsunokami has an idea of what he wants though, but would he win? It's possible. The uchigatana was fast and smart, even if he didn't hit nearly as hard as Dotanuki did. It was possible that he was going to have to do whatever Mutsu asked.
...But that was the fun of a bet, wasn't it?
He straightens and starts stretching his back out.]
Alright. You're on.
But in that case, I'm not holdin' anythin' back, got it?
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Fine, ya're on! ( If he can't hit Dotanuki as hard as he should, he'll make up for it. They're already in his element more or less. He can make this happen! ) I won't either! So no whinin` from ya either, got it?
( And he's drawing his sword now! )
Normally I'd fire a starting round but... heh! ( No guns. He's all for bending the rules but you really can't practice with a gun, especially a real one. ) Ready whenever!
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Fine with me. Let's do this!
[He doesn't wait since he can tell Mutsu is ready. After a slight pause to account for an imaginary referee telling them to ready themselves, he shoots forward, swinging upward across the body.]
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He could shift into defensive mode right now, try to get Dotanuki to wear himself out in the long run but what good is defense against a heavy hitter unless you have the stamina to slow them down? Mutsu doesn't have it-- at least, not against a strong sword like Dotanuki. He also knows he can't match Dotanuki in terms of aggressive strength alone so that only leaves speed; finish this quickly and smartly.
He can see Dotanuki's attack-- coming right for his front and Mutsu doesn't wear heavy armor at all. He raises his sword to catch Dotanuki's against his blade. He'll then try to apply as much pressure as he can, as if he's trying to get Dotanuki to step back and lose ground! Only at the last moment, he'll shift his stance and try to slide away, hopefully using any momentum of Dotanuki's against him so that he can deliver a straight attack, right at Dotanuki's side. )
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He pushes back, knowing that in overall brute strength he has Mutsunokami beat, but also knowing that any smart sword wouldn't rely on that strength to defeat a stronger opponent. Mutsunokami was anything but stupid and so it isn't a complete surprise when Dotanuki feels the sword shift under the pressure. Unfortunately, he'd been pushing hard and now he has to twist to avoid the attack aimed at his side. He feels the tip catch against something and then it slices through the fabric of his gi, a clean cut. He jumps back and then spins, bringing his blade back up to fake another slash before he jabs the sword straight forward.]
KEAAAA!
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If there's one thing he has over Dotanuki, it's speed. He knows he can move faster and he knows he can strike faster at the cost of having a shorter reach. He could pull back now, put space between them, and seek out a higher ground, or he could move in for the strike when he has an opening--
At least, he had an opening. A feint in response to a feint, huh? )
Waugh! Hey, hey! ( He sounds like he was caught off guard but he isn't complaining, just expressing his surprise the way he tends to. He's an expressive spirit.
The attack comes right at him and he knows he won't be able to avoid it, not without putting himself wide open for a second, more dangerous attack. The most he can do is try to minimize it, turning his body again to avoid the worst of the attack. Blade cuts through cloth and cuts skin. It isn't a deep cut but it's one all the same. ) My turn!
( They're pretty close now, aren't they? Close enough for Mutsu to try a vertical slash this ti-- nah, just kidding, he's giving Dotanuki a good, hard kick right in the knee cap right now and is going to retreat over to that bench. Come after him. )
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He'd been preparing for a sword attack. That, he could have blocked - either with the armor on his hands, or something else.
What he gets is a kick in the knee that drops him to the ground.]
NNGH!!
[Translation of that which was said through grit teeth? "You little shit!"
He has to stop and grab his knee, which means it's lucky for him that Mutsu chose flight over fight. He should have expected something like this, but, well, no one expects to get kneecapped in a sword fight. After a moment of rubbing the offended joint, he turns his blade around and spots Mutsu by the bench.]
Alright, gloves are off!
[He starts after Mutsunokami again, running after him.]
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Gahaha! I thought ya weren't holding back!
( If he could use his gun, now would be the point where he would begin shooting at Dotanuki but alas! Some restrictions are necessary. He'll wait for Dotanuki to catch up-- get a little closer and maybe even attack first. As it is now, Mutsu has the higher ground though so whatever move Dotanuki makes, he likes to think he'll be ready. )
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Just before Dotanuki comes within range, he drags a hand across the grass and grabs a clump of dirt. With one fluid movement, he sprays the bits of earth and grass at Mutsunokami and hopes it's enough to distract him as he goes for a full body tackle.]
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He has the higher ground. Dotanuki will have to work to take him down but the point is, he knows Dotanuki is going to try anyway. He braces himself for impact, holding onto his sword with one hand so as to not drop it and reaching out to grab Dotanuki with his other one. If he's going down, then Dotanuki is going down with him.
As soon as they hit the ground, Mutsu will try to shake him off-- squirming, moving around, scratching, kicking, and doing whatever he can to make it difficult to hold onto. He'll get out of this. He's not the type to stay caught. )
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He didn't expect Mutsu to fight like a crazy cat though.]
You're gonna scratch my eyes out!
[He says as he tries to push a hand into Mutsu's face. Oops.]
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Ya'll be oka--mmph!
( Don't whine, Dotanuki! You asked for this!!! Ah, but there's a faceful of hand and he tosses and turns his head to get it out of his way. But you know, with one hand in Mutsu's face, it must be a struggle to keep Mutsu down with just one arm. Dotanuki's other hand is probably holding onto his vessel as well as trying to keep him supported. This is good-- a little inconvenient with his head shoved into the ground or else he'd try to headbutt the heck out of Dotanuki right now but he can work with this.
With one hand-- the one not holding his sword-- he pushes against Dotanuki's chest, trying to keep Dotanuki as off of him as much as possible. With his other arm-- the one holding his sword-- he adjusts his hold just a bit aaaaand
For a moment, his scrapping and struggling subsides just enough to toss his sword behind Dotanuki. It's an awkward toss; the sword isn't going to go very far at all but it's away from the pair rolling on the ground and that's the important part.
It's reckless to toss his vessel aside like that but being a rebel's sword is risky business, isn't it? If it's just oe opponent, he'll take his chances! He's never been the best fighter but he's still a sword that can proudly say he's almost never been caught. He's good at escaping! With his now free hand, he balls it into a fist and aims a punch at Dotanuki's face just before there's that flash of light and burst of cherry blossoms which signifies a sword coming or leaving. From underneath Dotanuki, Mutsu demanifests.
Of course, he manifests again with his sword that short distance away. He's fast about this but not fast enough to properly re-arm himself. It's not enough time to pick his sword off the ground, but he can still put himself between it and Dotanuki, gun drawn and aimed at him. He'd never actually use it in a friendly match so Dotanuki is free to call his bluff right now. But man, if this was a real fight, this would be a bit of a compromising situation. )
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If this were a real fight, he'd be dead right now.
Instead, his lips tug up into a satisfied smirk at the sight of Mutsunokami trying to bluff him. He prefers this kind of fight. People who pull punches just because it was a spar annoyed him. The point of a spar was to get ready for battle, so why not fight like it was real?]
Shoot, if you're gonna do it.
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No way. ( You crazy?? He said he wouldn't use it! At least, not like that. ) This is serious.
( Not that he isn't taking this fight serioulsy but for all the scrapping and not pulling punches, it's still a friendly spar. And he gives Dotanuki a cocky sort of smile )
Hope ya're ready to treat me, though.
( Heh heh he already knows what he wants... he's ready... )
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When the gun lowers, Dotanuki narrows his eyes. So Mutsu thinks that just because he had him on the ropes, he's won? If he's not willing to finish the battle, then he can't say he's won at all!]
Yeah, yeah, I will be.
[If he won't use the gun, then there's still a few paces between him and his vessel. And now Dotanuki knows that other than pistol whipping him in the head, Mutsunokami is pretty much weaponless. He stands and then darts forward, aiming a punch at his face.]
If you win!