[IC, open to all] Thor Fight Club

[pirateangelbaby]

It's a beautiful spring day in the Nexus, rolling green hills boasting bright splashes of color where flowers have blossomed in all their glory, birds singing in trees sheltered with new green growth, and the sun is shining merrily through puffy white clouds, the breeze only a little on the cool side.

In one of the flatter fields out towards the Wilds, however, things are not quite so peaceful at the moment.

There's an enormous rough ring marked out with scorch marks in the grass, large enough to rival the gladiator arena on Sakaar, and on the edge of the ring there's a cloth laid out with a small variety of weapons that look... well, very second-hand, to put it mildly. But enough to give a good selection of swords or axes or hammers, with a shield or two for protective options.

Thor stands to one side, checking his armor to make sure it's securely fitted before battle, training session or not, and can't quite chase away the grin on his face in favor of a more serious, kingly expression that he probably should be wearing. Learning to compensate for his missing eye is a matter of life and death, probably, whether his or someone else's, but he can't help but feel excited to face something other than a half-assed training dummy shoved into the corner of the cargo hold.

Right, then, who's up for a little sparring with the god of thunder?

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[pirateangelbaby]

Thor takes her hand and gives it a firm shake, used to moderating his strength so he doesn't crush a human's more delicate frame until he feels the solid strength in her grip, and his grin broadens. "I am Thor, of Asgard," he answers, mirroring her own style of introduction. "What's your preference? Swords only, no magic?" It's the most basic set of rules for a friendly match, but he's flexible. Can't afford not to be, in his line of work, and he could use a variety of scenarios to help work out his little depth perception problem.

[truthqueen]

Diana certainly sensed that he was stronger than the average bear, and that handshake helped to convince her of it, something pleased flickering in her gaze. She'd start off testing of course, but if she was lucky, she'd be able to cut loose a little here.

"I've no magic to use myself, but I don't mind it being used." She wasn't immune, even to lightning, but she was rather resistant to it, so saw the idea of magic involved as a interesting challenge more than anything.

"Shall we fight to ring out, or pinned for three?" Both were fairly common, and she didn't mind either. It was all in good fun after all.

[pirateangelbaby]

That she doesn't have any magic to use isn't a terrible surprise, but that she doesn't seem its use as unfair anyway, does. Not that Thor minds, of course; he's quite used to using every weapon in his arsenal in a fight, and his lightning is his favorite for obvious reasons.

Still, he's prone to err on the side of going without, at least for this particular type of training. Unless she gets him on the ropes one too many times, obviously.

Thor would laugh at her suggestion that throwing him out of the ring is even possible, given how wide he's made it, except he's felt how strong she is. "Ring out it is," he agrees with a grin. "Prepare yourself, Lady Diana."

[truthqueen]

Magic was a weapon in and of itself- it was better to learn to counter and deal with it's use than to risk being unprepared in the heat of life-or-death situations in her opinion.

"An Amazon is always prepared, Lord Thor!" Diana replied with a grin, making her way into the ring, sword and shield slipped to hands, lasso remaining tied at her hip. Depending on how things went she might bring it out, but for now swords to start. She wasn't one to step heavily or clumsily in general but even then there was an additional lightness to her steps here, even as she spun on her heel to face Thor, anticipatory grin still on her face.

Come at her, bro!

[pirateangelbaby]

Thor selects one of the heavier swords in his mini armory, and if she is going to use a shield so will he. Not that the last one he'd used had done him much good, but then, he'd been fighting Hulk after all. This one is a little smaller and more circular, unadorned by any kind of heraldry, but it's good and solid and light enough for him to maneuver it well in his own defense.

It's been even longer since he's used sword-and-board tactics against someone using the same, but Thor imagines this is what Midgardians mean by 'it's like riding a bike,' because he doesn't have to think too hard about his footing and stance, slipping easily back into forms his body remembers from childhood training.

He's first to close the distance within range to strike, and while he might be tempted to take it easy on her until he's seen what she can handle, the near-Asgardian strength in her grip leaves him feeling confident enough to treat her as he would one of his own people. He strikes hard and fast, going for body blows that are aimed to get in close under her guard if she's not prepared, although some of his strikes might not be quite as close as he intends.

[truthqueen]

It's simple enough to slip to stance when he moves, to lift her shield and meet him blade for blade. He's skilled, she notices that much, familiar with combat and unafraid of trying to hit her, and also of parrying her own sword with his or his shield. She definitely notices the inaccuracies in some of his blows, and it doesn't take much for her to determine the cause, given the patch he wears. Likely the reason he was wanting to practice.

But either way it wasn't long for Diana to push the offensive herself with a heavy kick against the center of his shield before their blades locked and she slammed her shield against his. A good way to wear the shield arm prematurely, to get the teeth rattling and the opponent off-balance if they weren't careful.

Sure it meant her shield arm might be taking a battering too, but she wasn't afraid to go shieldless if it came to that.

[pirateangelbaby]

As she's assessing him, he's doing the same to her. She's as skilled as any Asgardian warrior he's seen, well-balanced and experienced, and a grin pulls at his lips as he realizes he really has found himself an opponent worthy of matching him. Her sword is well-made, as well, flashing bright in her hand as she seeks out his weak points with brutal efficiency.

Oh, is that how it's going to be? Thor's shield arm gives ground, slows, presses back to match her strength as he sets his feet solidly against the grass and leans into it hard, trapping her arm along with his in a deadlock. "You're good," he says through an almost savage grin, thoroughly enjoying himself.

[truthqueen]

Thor isn't the only one pleased to find a worthy opponent. The others she worked with were powerful, skilled in their own rights, but there was something for clashing with someone in the way she'd grown up on, steel and the strength of their shield arms to bolster them. A slight slide of her feet against the grass before she found purchase and dug in, and Thor would find himself matched there as Diana returned that grin returned almost as bright as the blades they fought with.

"You're not too bad yourself." Replied in a pleased tone, almost seeming content to continue the shoving contest while they searched for weak points with their blades.

At least until she felt Thor shove his weight into the shield again. Then it was a simple enough thing, letting herself crash quite suddenly to a knee, using the force of the Asgardian's push against her shield to tilt her own, sword hitting the dirt as she snatched for his front in the process to drag him off his feet, springboard him off her shield and over her shoulder to land behind her.

[pirateangelbaby]

He senses her move a split-second too late, gravity and his own strength turned against him as Diana throws him off-balance just long enough to throw him over her entirely, his back slamming painfully hard into the ground and forcing all the air from his lungs.

Serves him right for not paying attention.

Thor flails with his shield-arm and digs the edge of it into the soft earth, pulling hard to roll himself over and onto his feet again before she can take advantage of him lying supine, and swiftly raises his sword to counter any incoming attack before he can get his eye back on her. He's still a little winded from the impact, but recovering swiftly, looking far more delighted than a man probably should be after his foe introduced him to the dirt, up close and personal-like.

Time to mix it up a little.

He shifts his grip on his sword and closes in again, seeking to draw her back into a bladelock against him as the skies above darken, the buzzing static of the storm stirring in his blood.

[truthqueen]

Her shield glances off his sword, which pleases the Amazon immensely that he was so quick to spring to action. As it was though she was avoiding locking up just yet, dodging a swing of his sword to aim a swift kick at his blind side. Testing how well he guarded that side, seeing how quick he'd be to counter it.

Lightning wasn't her domain, but it was still in Diana's blood, something brighter flashing in her eyes as the static in the atmosphere building set her blood to pounding. Unaware that it was his storm, but feeding off the adrenaline it gave her all the same.

[pirateangelbaby]

Lacking peripheral vision on that side, it's only the way the movement translates through the rest of her body that gives her attack away, and Thor pivots quickly, her boot still glancing off his armor though it doesn't connect as solidly as it would've otherwise. That little split-second of needing to turn his head makes enough difference that his attempt to ensnare her leg before she can withdraw it doesn't exactly work out, missing his shot and leaving a momentary gap in his defenses, his sword arm vulnerable to a counterattack.

A rumble of thunder rolls across the sky overhead, and rain begins to fall, soaking into the thirsty earth.