[ Cloud doesn't hesitate. In the moment, step by step, as if doing his best to keep up with her own movements, has has to revel and reel as he fights. If he pauses for a second, he's going to put himself at a sore disadvantage. But this woman didn't just avoid his wider area of attack...it's like she danced through them. Like she could assess just how close she needed to be before anything dared to cut her. This masked fighter. Does she not feel the pull of the moonless sky and the weight of darkness dragging her down? It was too late for him, having made his own mistakes; now he was the one who would have to lie in bed with them.
Her strike doesn't look strong. But it wasn't the power that he was caught off guard by. It was how smooth she maneuvered her spear. But looks can be deceiving. And as Cloud hasn't closed the gap to use his momentum for subsequent strikes, his more instinctive yet feral approach would come back to bite him. So soon into the battle, and as he forces himself to kick off the ground and away from her horizontal slash... ]
!!
[ A clean strike. So clean that at first, it looks as if all she accomplished was a perfect line across his chest, opening the front of his shirt. But not even a second passes upon him skidding back and bracing himself... ]
Ggh-
[ Throbbing. Stinging. He doesn't let go of his sword, but he can feel it. Warmth that wets the front of his body. He didn't even feel her blade make contact. And yet...there he is. First blood going to the Raiden Shogun as his mismatched eyes stare at her with a flicker of disbelief. Shit... No. He was stronger than this. Cloud had been preparing himself to catch up to Sephiroth. Not even factoring in the upfront desire to maim and make his prey bleed, he needed to be stronger and faster than this.
But he doesn't fight to protect. Not tonight. But before he can think of rushing Ei down once more, he takes a deep breath through his nose. His shoulders raise...the smell of iron rich in his lupine senses now as he can practically taste it on his tongue. He wants her taste on his tongue now. The wolf hungers. But he wills himself to lean further on his human side. Calm down.
Your SOLDIER training. Your might. Your progress.
Your legacy that wasn't even real...
His stance shifts, raising his blade effortlessly to challenge her. When he speaks again, it's with less anger and thirst to his cadence. It's colder this time. For the time being, there'd be no more tricks or unorthodox techniques. This time, he was going to leave his mark on her. ]
Let's try this again.
[ When he rushes towards her, feet barely skimming the pavement beneath his feet, the second both feet are planted on the ground, he suddenly flashes to her side. To the ordinary human eye, it's almost like he blinked between places. This time, when he performs his first slash, it's followed up by a second. A third. Each swing more powerful than the last as he uses the momentum of his massive sword to try and apply pressure on Ei. And whether it means he endures a few more licks, until she gives him good reason to...
Cloud's going to dance with her, staying in her range and exchanging blows. ]
no subject
Her strike doesn't look strong. But it wasn't the power that he was caught off guard by. It was how smooth she maneuvered her spear. But looks can be deceiving. And as Cloud hasn't closed the gap to use his momentum for subsequent strikes, his more instinctive yet feral approach would come back to bite him. So soon into the battle, and as he forces himself to kick off the ground and away from her horizontal slash... ]
!!
[ A clean strike. So clean that at first, it looks as if all she accomplished was a perfect line across his chest, opening the front of his shirt. But not even a second passes upon him skidding back and bracing himself... ]
Ggh-
[ Throbbing. Stinging. He doesn't let go of his sword, but he can feel it. Warmth that wets the front of his body. He didn't even feel her blade make contact. And yet...there he is. First blood going to the Raiden Shogun as his mismatched eyes stare at her with a flicker of disbelief. Shit... No. He was stronger than this. Cloud had been preparing himself to catch up to Sephiroth. Not even factoring in the upfront desire to maim and make his prey bleed, he needed to be stronger and faster than this.
But he doesn't fight to protect. Not tonight. But before he can think of rushing Ei down once more, he takes a deep breath through his nose. His shoulders raise...the smell of iron rich in his lupine senses now as he can practically taste it on his tongue. He wants her taste on his tongue now. The wolf hungers. But he wills himself to lean further on his human side. Calm down.
Your SOLDIER training. Your might. Your progress.
Your legacy that wasn't even real...His stance shifts, raising his blade effortlessly to challenge her. When he speaks again, it's with less anger and thirst to his cadence. It's colder this time. For the time being, there'd be no more tricks or unorthodox techniques. This time, he was going to leave his mark on her. ]
Let's try this again.
[ When he rushes towards her, feet barely skimming the pavement beneath his feet, the second both feet are planted on the ground, he suddenly flashes to her side. To the ordinary human eye, it's almost like he blinked between places. This time, when he performs his first slash, it's followed up by a second. A third. Each swing more powerful than the last as he uses the momentum of his massive sword to try and apply pressure on Ei. And whether it means he endures a few more licks, until she gives him good reason to...
Cloud's going to dance with her, staying in her range and exchanging blows. ]