No Pain, No Gain (INV)

@Aaron Marone @Jack Anders

Brisshal Gym seems to have been built ages ago. The gym was a single story "L" shaped building built from rough cut lumber and shingled with dark grey slate. A nondescript post and splint fence roughly marked the boundaries of the property, and outside was a simple sparring arena that consisted of a rough circle of hard packed clay flanked by bleached and age worn five tier wooden bleachers.

The proprietor of the gym was an older gentleman, tall and tan with a shaved head and a well groomed beard of dark hair streaked here and there with grey hairs. He is outside early, waiting for the two adventurers he'd hired to arrive. A few would-be spectators also milled about the gyms court yard, waiting expectantly to have a look at this afternoons entertainment.

As the two of you arrive, the owner of the gym approaches you with a wide smile and the firm handshake of a man who'd spent a considerable amount of time developing his body.

"Welcome, and thank you two for coming today! The crowd is just arriving and we're all anxious to see what the two of you have to show us. If you need to prepare or change, we've curtained off the far corner of the gym for the two of you to use. Just come out and let me know when you're ready, and I'll make the announcement!"

He steps closer to the pair of soon-to-be combatants and whispers conspiratorially "Also, if you could keep it to yourselves that you've never been here a day in your lives up until today, that would be just great."

 

Aaron grinned at the man's request to keep it to himself that this was the first time he had ever been here. "What do you mean?" He asked. "I've been coming here for almost a month, now."

He turned and gave a slight wave to the few people who had already showed up. "I hope you all are ready for a good match. My friend here and I are excited to show off what we've learned in just this past month alone."

"What are the rules of the match?" Aaron asked the bald headed man. If he didn't give specific instruction, Aaron would redirect the question to Jack, adding "I think it might be a bit unfair if I use my sword and heavy armor, since you don't use a weapon. So I'm thinking shirtless fist fight, give the audience two shows, what do you say?" He asked, giving a suggestive wink and a laugh.

Quietly so that no one in the audience would be able to make it out at all, but just loud enough for Jack and perhaps the older man to hear, Aaron spoke again. "So what type of gym is this? Just like, lifting weights and excercise and stuff, is it like a dojo to learn a specific fighting style, or is it like one of those places where people show up just to compete, and get better at things in that way?" He asked. "Like, what are we going for - World's Strongest Man, Karate Kid, or Pokemon?" He figured the NPC might be a bit confused by the last part of that, but Jack might be able to help fill things in for Aaron based off those, he hoped. Man, he really should have looked into what type of gym this was before showing up...

 

A hearty laugh was given as the dark haired man played along with Aaron’s charades. “Pfft, you casual. Only a month? I’ve been hitting the gym since I was four.” He’d move to slap the man amicably on the back while turning his rear towards the crowd. A wink was given towards the old man as he’d listen to the paladin in training’s suggestions. “Yeah fine, no armor, no swords, no shirts, no pants, whatever you say man. No homo. Besides, a good ole fist fight would probably get the message across.” He seemed oddly cool with this and was rather quick to agree.

Rather than mincing words with his sparring partner (and after their rules had been confirmed), he’d instead dip into one of the changing rooms in order to prepare. On the way towards the cordoned off section, Jack would crack a toothy grin at the crowd while waving amicably and flexing his arms once or twice as a jest. It wouldn’t hurt to put on a show right? Regardless of how the end result played, a bit of good PR never damaged a gym’s reputation. Hell, perhaps they’d even get credit for being easy going and having a good sense of humor.

As for now… he’d quietly tip behind the curtain. Only after Aaron had appear did Jack follow shortly thereafter.

@DM_Account

 

"No one is going to believe something that absurd. You're scrawnier than a stick, there's no way you've been coming to the gym since you were four," Aaron pointed out in a whisper. His face contorted a bit at the man's joke about the rules, but he quickly recovered. "You're right, homo is way too restrictive. Bi all the way, man," he said with a grin.

Aaron would go behind the changing area and begin taking off all of his armor. Several loud clanks would be heard as he left it just in a pile on the floor. He set his sword and shield up against the wall where they would be safe, and took off his shirt and pants as well, tossing them atop the armor. Feeling uncomfortable in just his underwear, Aaron looked around to find some sparing shorts, and quickly put them on. They didn't cover much more than his underwear did, but they felt a bit better on him. He rolled his shoulders. Right then, time to give everyone a good show. He walked back from behind the changing area, put on a huge smile, and waved to everyone.

 

(So, I forgot to give the gym guy a name, and that's my bad. Please forgive a bit of clunky writing and know that I've learned from my mistake.)

Aaron and Jack are met with sparse but enthusiastic clapping from the small crowd as they emerge from the Gym. The owner of the establishment is already waiting in the center of the arena to approach, and as he sees the two appears, he turns to the audience and begins speaking.

"Ladies and Gentlemen of Brisshal! As you all know, I've invited you all to witness first hand two of my most promising students test one another in sporting combat! As you all well know, these sparring matches are seldom open to the public, but today's match will be, so that all of you can see the befits we offer. Learn to protect yourself, earn riches and glory traveling the land, Impress the ladies! We offer sessions and lessons six days a week, and we're all eager to see you tomorrow!"

the crowd responded with a bit more lukewarm applause, but the two men can see a few more people wander by, stopping to see what the commotion is about as the older bodybuilder indicates to a blue X and a red O at opposite ends of the ring.

"Gentlemen, if you will take your positions, we can get started!"

He assigns Aaron to blue, and jack to red. As soon as the two men are in position, the gym keeper backpedals out of the ring and shouts "Begin!"

@Jack Anders @Aaron Marone

 

After confirming that Aaron had relieved himself of his sword and armor, Jack would wait patiently and allow a few moments to pass. After the man had exited his changing area, the mage too would follow suit. A surprise would await the nearly nude Aaron however as the dark haired man had come out fully clad, wearing what appeared to be a white karate gi with a black belt tied around his waist. Upon Jack’s face rest a smirk as he shrugged helplessly at the paladin in training’s current predicament. He’d whisper softly back to his companion while stifling a laugh.

“Sheesh, an exhibitionist huh?”

Hopping back and forth in position in order to limber up, the healer would continue to wait patiently until the signal was given. Without warning, his front leg would swing forth towards Aaron’s skull in a crashing wave of force. Should the kick to be dodged or blocked, he’d step in using the momentum from the first move in order to ram into the youth with his elbow. His foot would position itself as best as it could behind Aaron’s own leg in attempt to throw him off balance between the thrusting strike and a minor sweep.

@Aaron Marone

 

Aaron certainly wasn't expecting Jack to come out dressed in a full karate gi. He scowled at the man's comment. "You're an asshole," he said. It didn't particularly matter to him, though. If he had learned anything in the numerous street fights that he had been in, it was the fact that baggy clothes, such as a gi, were more for showmanship sport than actual fighting as they added unnecessary bulk to the body. The only reason Aaron used heavy armor normally was the fact that the game's system helped mitagrate some of the effects of that weight due to his Master Level in Heavy Armor.

Likewise, Aaron thought, karate itself was a very ineffectual combat system, typically relying on striking first and harder, in all his experience with thugs that had claimed to be black belts. They typically had not a single clue what to do once someone was closer to them then they expected to be, or when they found themselves on the ground having faced someone with experience in Mixed Martial Arts.

When their ready stances were assumed, Aaron's arms were raised so that his hands, held in a relaxed state somewhere between a fist and an open hand, were level with the upper half of his face, but curved and positioned to still be able to watch the other man's movements.

The main reason why Aaron disliked karate so much was demonstrated with Jack's opening move. Kicks were terrifying, they could hold a lot of power, and they could be delivered swiftly. But they had a vital weakness that the people who used them never seemed to account for - if you have two pillars keeping you upright at a perfect balance, and you remove one and put all your weight on the other, your center of balance would be thrown completely off, especially if you're turning your body to apply force and momentum into your kick. The higher the kick was aimed, the worse of a life choice it was.

That's why, as soon as Aaron saw Jack's body begin to turn, his leg begin to lift off the ground, Aaron didn't raise his arms to defend himself or try to move aside or back to get out of the way. No, kicks only worked because the person you were kicking was afraid to get kicked. Remove the fear, remove the use. Instead, Aaron charged toward the man, slamming into him with his shoulder even as the man's leg - specifically his thigh at this point - would make contact with his back. Most likely, the impact would knock the man to the ground, seeing as he was standing on only one leg at the time of being hit with the full weight of Aaron's body.

It was Aaron's turn to smirk. "Almost forgot how fast I could move without all that armor," he said with a laugh.

 

The beginning of the match elicits an excited sound form the growing crowd. As Jack takes the first swing, the crowd gets louder, punctuated by an excited "Ohhh!" as Aaron counters. Neither combatant is any worse for wear form the exchange however, and the growing crowd is certainly ready for more.

The proprietor of the gym (Who I'm calling Adalberto from now on) Watches the two going at it and has to restrain himself from shouting advice to either combatant. He glances at over his shoulder at the cheering crowd and smiles. Maybe this would work after all!

Beyond the gym grounds, in the distance, the pair can see dark clouds rolling in quickly and probably came to the realization that it was going to start raining soon. they either had to get this over with quickly, or make this a show worth getting soaked to watch.

 

A smirk formed across Jack’s face after seeing that his opponent had opted for a charge. Though his balance was in fact corrupted, he didn’t find too much alarm at such circumstance. Instead, he’d continue pressing his weight forward while stepping off to the side the charge while continuing with his previous motion. As a result of Aaron’s forward momentum, the originally thrusting elbow would move to instead slam into the side of Aaron’s skull as the dark haired man aimed at the temples.

It was then that a soft whisper was had as the two briefly closed in on each other. “Damn man, go easy here. Can’t have either of us looking too bad – reflects poorly on the gym.”

Physically harming each other was perhaps the least of Jack’s valid concerns. After all, it was very clear based on past experiences that neither one was proficient with unarmed combat in the game. As suspected, the damage for either side would be absolutely minimal. What mattered most now was to maintain a good show for the audience and to simply pretend that progress was being made against each other’s health bars. It was sort of like WWE, the primary goal was to simply build interest rather than actually display any real combat prowess, only more subtle.

@Aaron Marone

 

Aaron stumbled a bit as Jack's strike hit him square in the side of the head. But since neither of the two had any Mastery in Unarmed Combat, or whatever it was technically called, Aaron wasn't completely sure, he knew he had nothing to worry about health wise.

"Right, we're here to give them a show," he would say back to the man. "I'm gonna pick you up. Wrap your legs around me, right beneath my ribs," he instructed.

With that, Aaron would charge toward Jack with a grin. Assuming the man let him and followed his instructions, he would continue. "Now, I'm going to slam you into the ground. As soon as I do, grab my ankles, unhook your legs, and push your feet into my underarms. That'll flip me onto my back as well, and will look pretty impressive, in my opinion at least." His instructions given, Aaron would then try to slam the man down toward the ground. Though, again, all this would only happen if Jack went along with his plan in the first pace.

 

“Sounds good man. No homo right?” A whisper of confirmation was given as Jack gritted his teeth once in preparation for the impending assault. Perhaps the explanation was a bit short notice but he’d make do. After all, improvising on the go was sort of his specialty. This last bit proved especially true considering their death run through the raid regardless of how it played out.

Enacting the script as best he could, he’d latch onto the paladin with a tight vice like grip while allowing himself to be carried down to the ground. A loud oomph was made as he’d clear his mind and reach for the man’s ankles. With a heavy cry, he’d kick at the man’s torso in order to propel him away. At the last second however, he’d lose his grip, causing the man to fly back a bit more than intended. It was whatever, right? The end result seemed a bit flashier than perhaps originally designed.

It wasn’t as if it was detrimental to their little skirmish.

@Aaron Marone @DM_Account

 

"Man, why do you have to keep saying that?" Aaron asked, audible irritation at the man's usage of the phrase 'no homo'. However, his plan carried off almost exactly like he intended, and the crowd would receive a brilliant display, made even better by Jack's improvisation. Nicely done, Aaron thought as he fell backward.

In most forms of fighting, how to fall correctly is the very first thing one is taught. That is especially true of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, in which half the time whoever falls first seems to be the winner. As Aaron landed on his back, he slapped the ground with both of his hands, curved his head inward, and pulled his legs up sharply to give him more momentum. This caused him to roll over his shoulder and then onto one knee and one foot. A grin spread wide across his face. He might not have executed the move quite as well as someone who had the system assisting them for having the proper masteries, but that demonstrated Aaron's favorite part of this game - free range of player movement. If he knew how to do it in real life, he could make himself do it here. It would be harder for someone who might have been "smart" and changed the way they appeared, but since everything about Aaron's body was exactly the same here as it was in the real world, Aaron knew exactly how it would move.

Aaron beckoned Jack toward him with a taunting curl of the fingers on both of his hands and a cocky nod. Still on one knee, Aaron would wait to see what Jack intended to do next before making his own move.

 

The crowd reacted with laughter and cheers, and a voice from somewhere in the back shouting "Yeah! Fuck that guy!" though it was unclear as to whom the jeer was aimed. At some point during the contest, an opportunistic street vendor had wheeled his cart up the long pathway leading to the arena and was attempting to over charge for cold bottles of beer and a plain but equally expensive assortment of snacks. In the crushing heat, the beer was selling exceptionally well, and soon the two combatants may have noticed that more than a small number among the growing crowd had maybe had one too many before they'd even arrived on the scene.

The owner of the gym seemed especially pleased, wordlessly egging the two on with excited gestures and cliche' shouts of encouragement such as "give em hell" and "Watch your footwork!" though again, nobody had any real idea as to whom was being addressed. As the crowd settled down a bit, the mustached man urged the two to continue.

 

Yeah! Fuck that guy! What is this? The circus? There peanuts too? Shit, I want a beer! He’s probably gonna charge me for it I bet…

Secretly inside Jack was agreeing with the audience. His internal thoughts however were ironically directed at their employer rather than either of the combatants however.

A mild look of displeasure was made as the dark haired man stared back at their employer with a disgruntled look. Though his fatigue bar was perhaps still far from reaching a dangerous level, he couldn’t help but feel a bit cheesed at the fact that things were being dragged out at a snail’s pace. That said, a deal was a deal and Jack had already signed the contract.

“Better watch out!” He’d let out a brief warning call while pointing two fingers at himself and then redirecting them towards Aaron. Looking back at his companion with a nod of readiness, he’d again charge at the man while this time aiming to execute a showy dropkick of some variety. Given his companion’s previous recommendations, Jack was positive that something entertaining would come out as a result without gimping him too hard.

This is probably gonna hurt me more than you… Please go easy, please go easy, please go easy…

@Aaron Marone

 

Aaron too was beginning to grow weary of this. Most fights on the street finished in sixty seconds or less. Fights for show he knew went longer, but they weren't at all what he was used to. Aaron figured since he was the one who'd been launched back rather than just slammed down, that the jeer of "fuck that guy" had been aimed at him. As such, when Jack came at him to execute a showy drop kick, despite the fact Aaron knew he probably could have avoided it with ease, he let the kick connect with him square in the face, knocking back down to the ground.

He had... honestly not expected it to hurt that bad, which was stupid. Health wise there was little damage, but the actual pain was incredible. The world swam. He slowly pushed himself up and spat blood out of his mouth. He grinned a red grin as he slowly stood, raising his hands once more into a fighting stance, but stumbling slightly in the process. "Hey, coach, how much more of him kicking my ass do you think these people wanna see?" Aaron asked.

Without waiting for an answer, Aaron feinted a jab toward Jack with his left fist, and followed it up with a hook from his right. Blood dripped down his chin, giving him a bit of a frightening appearance. Even so, he was grinning widely, which perhaps only made him look more frightening. Or insane.