[battle] Round 4, get ready!

[shishi_sonson]

Zoro Roronoa vs. Gino Weinberg

Weapons: Romeo, Grenn Atair
Location: Main Courtyard
Time of day: Round 4 / Day 1 / Late Afternoon

Like some stern-faced stone statue standing in silent vigil over the sunny campus field, Zoro's lean shape rose above the clean-cut grass, his strong arms folded across one another over the small curve of his chest. In the very center of it all, watching and waiting, his sharp eyes scanned the courtyard for anyone who even began to approach him and focused on them instantly; obviously expecting company, he was often disappointed when prospective opponents that fell within his chilling gaze simply walked on.

He hadn't been there long, but he likely looked a bit odd in his motionless state, unflinchingly placed where he was in the middle of the field. The entire while, he would stare straight ahead in a very sullen fashion. Some might call it 'stupid', but to Zoro, it was discipline; he had said he'd be waiting in the courtyard for a challenge, and so wait he would.

After several more minutes of waiting, Zoro suddenly moved, surprising several bystanders who had mistaken him for a statue. He bent down, snatched up a bottle of cool, crisp water sitting just beside his feet, and tipped it up to his lips. Letting out a refreshed sigh, he wiped his mouth with the thick of his wrist, then set the bottle down again and resumed his inanimate lookout.

Comments

[myblueskies]

Next to the inanimate figure of Zoro was a tiny creature also keeping a silent vigel. He was doing his very best to immitate his players stance. It was obvious he wasn't doing very well though, he just wasn't used to standing still. His eyes were everywhere as he tried to spot the oponent they were going to fight. He was excited, Zoro was going to fight Gino, who was a giant and Gino was using Grenn as a weapon.

Romeo shuffled his feet before he realised that he was fidgiting and tried to stand still so he didn't dissapoint Zoro. He glanced up at Zoro with a small smile but he did not dare speak in case he distirbed the pirate warriors thinking.

OKAY let's do this

[trollofthree]

Gino, on the other hand, wasn't particularly disciplined. Went out of his way to avoid it when at all possible, in fact, and he wasn't about to make an exception for some guy he'd only seen in passing around campus.

"Yo," he called, when he and Grenn were within hearing distance. "Are you the guy looking for a match?"

[summerstars]

Grenn felt... less than pleased. Gino's opponent was probably not an unpleasant person, but she didn't feel comfortable anyway, whatever the reason. It was probably very rude, and all, but she couldn't help it.

Another reason she didn't like this Exaclan; too much forced interaction. It made her tired, uncertain and more than ready to just go hide in the dorm room.

RIGHT ON

[shishi_sonson]

"Ehh, I knew someone would come along eventually!"

Zoro's expressions didn't change; still stone-faced and stern, Zoro raised his head - and his voice - as Gino approached and beckoned for him to come. His posture did change, however, as his lean muscles suddenly grew as tense as coiled steel, and he began to pace, step after step, towards his opponent like some feral beast stalking his prey.

When Zoro arrived, only glancing briefly at Grenn, he instead put his full focus on Gino - who, surprisingly, was much taller than Zoro expected out of the rest of the student body; the swordsman found himself looking up to meet Weinberg's eyes, but this was hardly new for someone who made a bad habit of fighting giants among giants.

"I haven't done this before here," he began, glancing down as he slipped on his Exaclan glove. "...so how does this work? Do I have to make some kind of goofy vow or challenge?"

[trollofthree]

"Not unless you really want to," Gino waved the question away and moved to lean against Grenn's wheelchair as she braked. "We've just gotta draw the weapons. The system does the rest."

[shishi_sonson]

"Mmn, right," Zoro replied shortly - more of a grunt, really, than an actual sentence, but it would have to do. Already on the move, Zoro turned towards Romeo and leaned down towards him; although he was eager to begin the fight, he needed to draw out his weapon, and he had already learned from the last Round that it was not a completely painless process.

"Kid...brace yourself," he said quietly, giving Romeo a firm look.

With his glove-clad hand, he reached for Romeo's chest, then swiftly pulled out the long handle of the sweep brush; he did so as quickly as he could in an unspoken effort to minimize the boy's discomfort. Zoro's fingers tightened around its slim pole, his knuckles turning white as he gripped it unyieldingly. The way he held the 'weapon', though, was a bit odd; with the bristled end facing him, he pointed the end of the handle, adorned with the silver cross, towards Gino, like he was aiming the tip of a sword at his foe.

"Alright. Show me your fangs," he said, smiling fiercely.

[myblueskies]

Romeo did as he was told, bracing himself and not letting himself move at all as Zoro drew out his weapon, even though it felt strange, not exactly painful but strange and uncomfertable. Once Zoro held the brush in his hands Romeo moved out the way to stand with Grenn so he wouldn't be in the middle of the battle.

He was quietly confident, Zoro was the best swordsman ever and he would beat the giant!

[trollofthree]

"Tough talk." Gino grinned at Grenn, drawing her twin disks with a sure, practised movement. Whilst deadly, they weren't his preferred weapon by a long shot; he could even lose this one if his opponent was better than he looked. He doubted it, though.

"Fangs, huh?" He stepped away from Grenn as Romeo ran towards her, and passed one of the disks to his left hand, careful of the razor edges. One eyebrow raised at the weapon he was facing. "Think these'll do?"

[shishi_sonson]

"Hmmn..." Zoro said, grunting again; this one had more of an appraising tone to it than his previous utterance, though, as his locked his eyes on Grenn's Weapon. He seemed to approve, judging by the slight nod of his head, but he said nothing else.

Instead of wasting more 'words', he began to approach Gino at a calm pace. Leaving only a few feet of tense space between them, Zoro readjusted his grip on his Weapon, then took a moment to plant his feet suitably in the grass for proper balance - his actions were awfully casual, but it wasn't intended to mean that he wasn't taking his opponent seriously, but instead, that this wasn't personal.

Once he was satisfied, he made a single, straight-on thrust at Gino with the end of the brush's handle. The thrust, however, was far from simple; lightning-fast, the movement itself was perfectly steady, flawlessly balanced, and had just enough power to crack solid stone.