D0MM, Gotta Stay on Point (open)

[Shika Nesshin]

Nesshin bows and grabs a practice spear from the rack. Giving a quick, shallow bow--don't take your eyes off of the opponent--he adopts a low, wide stance, the spear held at the butt in his left hand behind his head, the right hand supporting the shaft, palm open and upward.

He inhales and thrusts forward.

[Kitsuki Hajime]

The Kitsuki flows to the right of the thrust and brings his bokken in a quick horizontal arc parallel to the spear's thrust, hoping to catch Nesshin overextended.

[Shika Nesshin]

If he is so hopeful, well, hope springs eternal; not for nothing are they called "dancers," the Shika. The haft of the spear tracks to follow the Kitsuki, Nesshin turning, pivoting from the hips and shifting his feet to recenter himself, trying to catch the Dragon bodily with the blunt shaft of his weapon. If he makes his touch, great; if not, he still has distance and perception. And if the Kitsuki grabs at the shaft, well, there're remedies for that, too.

[Kitsuki Hajime]

Hajime shifts back onto his rear foot to give himself a half-instant to think, and the bokken lifts up to try to catch the Deer on the hand nearer the haft, hoping to break the force of the attack or force a second pivot if Nesshin wished to avoid a rap on the knuckles.

[Shika Nesshin]

Oh, there's another pivot, a surprising reversal of direction, really, one that has Nesshin almost roll along Hajime's back, back to back, as his spear swings around to the other side, searching for a backhanded blow.

The Kitsuki will not be able to see it, but Nesshin is smiling broadly, openly, happily. It is a joy to put his body to such work, to lose himself in a rhythm as old as the Empire and older, if the stories are to be believed.

[Kitsuki Hajime]

Hajime takes the backhanded blow solidly in the slide, even his famously reactive style not anticipating such a bold maneuver. With a quiet "oomph!" he staggered backwards to right himself, his bokken moving instinctually to guard.

[Shika Nesshin]

It being friendly sparring, Nesshin withdraws to give the Kitsuki space to recover. "Go again?" he asks, knowing that with this kind of practice, as with others, consent is key.

[Kitsuki Hajime]

Hajime let out a small huff. "I should say so! I am far from beaten, though that shaft was a hard lesson."

[Shika Nesshin]

Nesshin grins. "It often is, at first," he says. "People tend to get the hang of it with practice, though, until handling it is a pleasure."

He nods, then takes a more traditional stance, feet still wide, right side forward, the spear held level at waist height and with its practice-point towards the Dragon.

[Kitsuki Hajime]

Hajime's eyes widened ever so slightly. Well, I suppose I walked into that one...as well as that spear.

His left arm described a slow arc to join its hand to his right on the bokken's hilt. His left leg slid back to create the classic guard position. His eyes sparkled with humor.

"Come on, Shika-san. I am ready to receive your attack."