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(open | february log)
Who: Ozymandias + you!
When: All month!
Where: Lots of places!
What: Open prompts for speed-dating quest/general + closed starters. Feel free to message me at![[plurk.com profile]](https://plurk.com/favicon.ico)
rebreather or this journal if you'd like a closed starter!
Warnings: nsfw in caren's thread
When: All month!
Where: Lots of places!
What: Open prompts for speed-dating quest/general + closed starters. Feel free to message me at
Warnings: nsfw in caren's thread
no subject
I should say not. Your opponent was unharmed, [he says, walking past her to the scarecrow to have a look at it.]
[Despite her fumble there at the end, it would seem she managed to do quite a bit of damage to the thing. He reaches out a hand to lift one of the newly created flaps of its clothing, as though inspecting just how deep she managed to pierce. And though not a perfect estimation, the hay is somewhat telling where stalks were broken, bent, or pushed aside. Her uncertainty shows in the inconsistency and what could only be described as scatteredness in her strikes, but she was landing fierce blows all the same.]
[He lets go of the shirt, turning and coming to stand beside the ruined scarecrow.]
Show, fight, whatever it was though, I would say you've left it unfinished. [He nods his head slightly in the direction of the scarecrow.] He still stands.
[Ozymandias knows that his laughing was likely what caused her to put away the gifted blade rather than her mistake at the end on its own, but he would not have her stop partway like this. If she is to commit herself to learning to defend herself, she ought to see it through to the end each time she practices.]
[She won't live long otherwise.]
[He holds out his hand for her dagger.]
May I?
no subject
Daenerys keeps the grasp tight on the dagger now, watching as he comes closer. Her target, had he been alive, would surely still be living but... very uncomfortable! That's a step in the right direction. Daenerys scrunches his nose as he inspects the scarecrow, as if she expects massive critique. She's so self critical of herself, it's clear many men had been as well. However, she tilts her head up and speaks with confidence. ]
He stands until I deem it crucial to bring him down.
[ Right?! Right.
And, she carefully hands the dagger off to him. ]
What do you plan?
no subject
[Ozymandias turns his attention from her for a moment, focusing on the dagger itself. It has been some time since he held this dagger in his hands, not since he gifted it to her, but it had also not changed much in that time with it only just beginning to see use. Still, he tests its balance upon a finger. It's likely not something Daenerys would do with how delicately she is treating the blade given that finding the wrong point or imbalance would bring the dagger tumbling to the ground. But no such thing happens as the dagger rests perfectly even on his finger, no sign of sway or threatening to fall.]
[Perhaps to her relief, he does not leave it there for overlong, returning to holding it by the hilt; although he switches fluidly between a few different grips before giving the flat side of the blade a flick of his finger.]
Hm. It is as I thought. [He looks up at Daenerys.] It is still the same blade I gifted you, and yet you hold it as though it might be split in twain if you were to truly use it.
[Although there still exists that playful lilt to his voice, Ozymandias offers her serious assessment. Ozymandias knows he is not her instructor and she was not necessarily seeking his feedback, at least not in this particular moment, but now that they are here? It would seem remiss not to provide her with it and treat what she is trying to accomplish with what it deserves. Daenerys can only improve if others tell her when she has made a mistake and guide her towards correcting it, not by ignoring it or merely teasing her over it.]
Your stance is well-practiced and your movements clearly possess confidence. [Or at least enough confidence. This early in her training, there is always going to be room for improvement, but that is not a reason to remark upon it.] Any one of those strikes could have proven fatal, but your grip...
[He holds the dagger out in front of her to take from him. Once she extends her hand towards it, he guides her grip to the appropriate firmness, closing his hand over hers.]
You would not allow your own life to slip from your fingers, so neither should you allow this blade. [Ozymandias guides her through one, slow and measured swing for her to feel the difference of her grip.] Trust in its strength and your own, and he shall truly only stand so long as you will it.
[His hand falls away from hers as he steps back from her.]
no subject
[ Her words were an honest reveal, something she doesn't take lightly. Even as he takes the dagger to balance it and play with it as if it was some toy, she knows she means well enough. But... well enough does not ensure one survives. Part of her knows that, but it's difficult to separate. ]
There... will be some easing into wielding it, but it's still a gift first, a weapon second.
[ But, his assessments were accurate. She winces, as if he was revealing intricacies bit by bit that showed a girl, less of a Queen. Less of a dragon. He roots her where she needs it most, the grip tightening around the handle once the dagger was returned to her grasp. The warmth of his hand upon her own makes her stomach twist into knots and she focuses with furrowed brows at an imaginary target – taking a few tentative, weighted slashes with his guidance. ]
Trust. Trust. Trust.
[ His digits slip from hers and she slices a bit more roughly – her biceps and forearm tightening and her form adjusting more postured. The scarecrow is not attacked just yet, not while she twists her wrist to find the most adjustable angle. ]
I must also trust in getting this from its sling when the time is right... how can anyone avoid cutting themselves in such a panic?
no subject
[Although he says nothing of it directly, his smile widens.]
[Ozymandias watches her as she makes her swings, tipping his head slightly as he notices her making gradual adjustments. He doesn't interfere, however. There is a degree to which he believes she needs to find her own footing with this, not relying solely on the instructions of others. Even if she feels a bit of embarrassment over it, it's better that she fumble about and learn to apply the knowledge she is gaining.]
By not panicking.
[It would be easy to assume that Ozymandias is getting smart with an answer like that, but it's actually a very serious answer. Likely made more evident as he continues.]
You could turn that blade onto me at any time. Right as I am speaking. Immediately after I've asked you to. Waiting until I've turned my back completely. Regardless of when you might attempt to strike me or how successful you'll likely be, I would not panic in reaching for mine because it has become reflex.
[Although it was impossible to deny the significant difference in their respective skill, that was hardly a factor for Ozymandias' confidence and ability to remain calm under such circumstances. At least not in comparison to all the years of training that was meant to avoid making him into a prince that saw no value in the lives of those who would serve him. Simply because he was the prince did not exempt him from the same expectations and training as others within Egypt's mighty army.]
If you continue and do not permit your Queensguard to treat you as a queen in his expectations for your training, you will one day find it to be the same.
no subject
It seemed simple when he lays it out, but she knows it is not. She had always become frozen when blades were turned to her, she had become bitter and angry – part of her fearing what she would do if truly needing to turn a blade in return. This was different than fire. It was not purging someone from existence as if burning away their sins – it was cold and personal, her own hand responsible.
She fights a war with herself. A gentle heart and a tactical mind – which would win?
When he mentions how she could better herself, the concept feels foreign. Her fight takes to the sky, above the squander of her people – a fitting way for a dragon. ]
I care not of ending you like that. [ She pulls away a few feet – stepping with the blade between her fingers. ] Come at me. Charge, if you must.
[ She wants to be defensive and offensive, not a fighter. ]
Unless you wish to only offer your teachings verbally... I wish to learn through actions, since I listen too much with my heart.
[ Thankfully, Lady Edre is a fine woman capable of tending to Ozymandias if Daenerys does more harm than good. ]
no subject
[And yet, despite the millennia between this moment and those memories, and that instead of a son it is a dragon that stands before him, Ozymandias still feels a sense of nostalgia for it. Because his sentiments, in the end, are the same. If she is to do this, he would have her survive. And barring that, he would have her brave and glorious.]
[Which is why he does not issue any sort of warnings or questioning if she is certain as others might be tempted. Ozymandias has no intention of being unreasonable towards her current skill. To do so would be unfair and only a poor attempt at showing off, neither of which would actually teach her. But neither has he any intention of treating her delicately for a similar reason. She likely already knows that or else she would never have asked. Thus, any warnings or questions along those lines are entirely pointless. It would only serve to belittle or doubt her.]
[His question instead serves more a purpose as he draws his own blade. Unlike the blade he gifted with her, he doesn't toy with it or experiment. His grip is immediate and certain.]
And have you practiced this yet? Or am I to be your first?
[Although perhaps a minute difference, one still exists between practicing your form in striking at your instructor and having to defend yourself from them. Even if she trusts Ozymandias to pull his strikes enough that she's not in any real danger of losing life or limb, there can still be a chance for panic. And panic can cause either a frenzy or freezing.]
[And frankly, regardless of how skilled Edre might be, Ozymandias would prefer to know what he ought to prepare himself for rather discover in other ways.]
no subject
[ There's certainly a challenging look to him as their gaze meets. Ozymandias had proven to be more than just a confidant and fellow Mirrorbound – he ... she isn't quite sure how to describe him. Part of her feels as if she needs to be better than him, others feel as if she wants to be better because of the challenge a King like himself poses to her. Whatever the reason, noble or driven by ego, Daenerys allows him to see a quick tongue far easier than he may be use to. ]
No, you are not my first here. Although, daggers as opposed to a few lessons with a broadsword are certainly different.
no subject
Then I shall not take it slow or gentle with you.
[Banter aside, he feels confident enough to assume that she's picked up enough basics that she can hold her own well enough at a decent pace. Perhaps not entirely to the speed that Ozymandias would take if this were a true fight, but certainly not one where they need to pause for her to think or reset when she begins to stumble.]
[But he will not be unkind and begin abruptly, thinking it will be some time before Daenerys is ready for that. Ozymandias falls into a stance, but he does not immediately launch into a strike and gives her a moment to ready herself.]
Let's see what you've learned so far then.
[He's quick when he finally answers her request that he take the offensive, but he does not allow momentum to overtake his control. When he's close enough for a strike, he doesn't overhand it to avoid leaving himself too vulnerable. Instead, he makes a lateral slash at her neck, his off-hand is kept at the ready to respond to her either to stop a forearm or even to follow through with another strike to leave her off-set and unbalanced.]
no subject
They had more important things to contend with, after all. Even a stray thought could be her undoing, so she brushes it aside quickly. Like an open door, however, he could feel her emotions on the matter.
Battles were unknown to her, they were not two-sided. The ones she was involved with had stolen things from her and as Ozymandias slashes – she ensures nothing else was stolen. Dirt kicks up at her feet as she narrowly avoids it, the embers in her chest burning a hot red. In the mere second it took, she falls off-balance and instead slices cautiously at a diagonal angle, not quite focused on the target. ]
no subject
[She's quick to move away, but it lacks in grace. And so, her counter seems to be more centered on providing herself the space to catch her balance and regain control than anything else. All-in-all, it's the best thing she can do in this sort of situation where her balance is off and she's cognizant of any pause without attempting to mitigate distance could spell out defeat.]
[With his free hand, Ozymandias reaches for the wrist of her hand holding her blade with his free hand. If he can get a grip on it, his intention is to pull her to him, quickly turning his blade to drive the hilt into her belly and winding her. (Not the sort of thing he would do in a real battle, but he'd rather not gut his Bonded in the name of practice.) But if she's quick enough to evade, he'll settle for at least hopefully making it difficult for her to draw her arm back in smoothly for another strike. Regardless, he hopes it spells out the obvious lesson to always strike with focus. Force him to react rather than attempt to exploit a potential flaw in her response.]