16273/King Takes Squire

King Takes Squire
Date of Scene:	07 November 2023
Location:	Shaw's Residence - Hellfire Club
Synopsis:	No description
Cast of Characters:	Sebastian Shaw, Blake Riviere

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Sebastian Shaw has posed:
The invitation had been long in coming, and oft-discussed. But shortly after Blake's return, the black envelope had showed up beneath her door. A time and a place, and a symbol. Little more than that, but the implication was clear.

Sebastian Shaw waits in his chambers, dressed not in his customary Victorian jacket this time, but instead in a gi. His hair is tied back behind him, and he is slowly working out his muscles on the mat in the small workout area just off to the side of his sleeping quarters.

Has he spent some time punching the wall before Blake's arrival? It won't be immediate apparent, of course, but certainly it is possible.

Refreshments are arrayed off to the side of the mat - water, fruit, and cheese. Enough for two. Perhaps merely for appearances.

Blake Riviere has posed:
Blake herself had been, well...working, at least to a point. She'd been attending to a little information her way, her hair tied back and her form professionally dressed to the point she might actually have passed as someone in high-end business rather than the usual gothic number she usually attended or indeed the inner circle's usual attire.

Still, when the invitation? She's smirked, let her hair down and...well, sure enough there was a chill of the wind and shift from the shadows before the silhouette of the vampiress might be spotted. Detail revealing as the inky black melted away to find her in her own gi-like pants and a simple dark sports bra-esqe excercise top. Her hair was even tied back, pinned in place with a small bat-shaped clip as she smiled lightly.

"Looking for distraction oh 'Black King'?"

Sebastian Shaw has posed:
His gaze looks up as he feels the chill, having experienced one of Blake's subtle, if dramatic arrivals in the past. As she melts out of the darkness, Sebastian allows a smile to cross his lips as he looks over to her. A brief nod as she seemed to understand the purpose of the invitation.

"Oh, I am always searching for reasonable distraction, Black Squire," he says, flashing a grin back to her as the titles are exchanged. "It is rare that I find one that is suitable enough to capture my interest, but I must say that I have high hopes that you can do so." He rolls his head around on his neck. "At the very least, I am due for some exercise, and I am sure that you can provide a bigger challenge than those I usually spar with."

Blake Riviere has posed:
If she hadn't, she'd probably observed from the darkness long enough to recognize, but then again she -was- meant to be a key part of the Black Court's intelligence gathering, wasn't she? A soft chuckle as she moves closer, lifting her arms over her head and stretching out before arching her back and folding her arm over to stretch at her elbow. "Well then, it has been a while since I've practiced with someone who can keep up...so I would hate to disappoint..."

Her accented tones bringing amusement and she was almost certainly making a distracting show of stretching out before she turned to face him. "And are there stakes or rules to this practice Mr Shaw? Lest we go too far. I would hate to cause any permanent damage..."

Sebastian Shaw has posed:
Certainly, the pre-spar stretching routine attracts the notorious eye of Sebastian Shaw as he watches Blake's muscles shift with her preparations. "I frankly doubt that either of us will disappoint, and both of us have been so eager to find suitable partners. Let us hope it is as I believe."

He takes a moment at her question to study the vampiress. His lips curl for a moment. "I thought we should avoid stakes," he says with an arch of an eyebrow. "Outside of that, I say we simply go until one of us submits or..." He tilts his head. "...both of us are fully satisfied."

Blake Riviere has posed:
His pun brings a smirk, perhaps even a roll of her eyes from the woman who looked suitably, deceptively human for the moment. Fangs hidden, eyes blue, she was simply some beautiful raven haired girl to anyone's gaze who didn't know any better. A last little shrug of her shoulders and she steps forth, lifting a hand to beckon for him to begin. "Well then...come see if you can bring me some satisfaction oh Black King Sebastion Shaw."

Sebastian Shaw has posed:
There is a quick shake of his head. "No titles in the dojo," corrects Sebastian. "I am just a man, and you are just a woman." Neither of them are 'just' anything, but for the purposes of the spar, there should be no standing on ceremony or station.

But that said, Sebastian accepts the challenge without further delay, darting forward with speed and agility that certainly goes beyond peak human. Whether it was the wall or other opponents, Sebastian has already taken a bit of a pounding today.

He starts out simple, taking a quick swing at Blake's face, a well executed but not particularly exotic punch.

Blake Riviere has posed:
Blake knew a little of Sebastian's gift, after all he'd spoken of it to her -and- she'd once tasted of his blood. It certainly presented its own challenge, how to hit an opponent who is going to absorb every shock. Considering strategy would have to come in the moment as she moved, weaving and ducking out of the way of that first simple punch and instead trying to slap away his arm from the next follow-up and drive the side of her foot into his midriff. It was hard, hard enough that it would require -some- superhuman durability not to be taken out of the fight immediately...but it was a test to see how much he'd -feel- if she managed to hit him.

Sebastian Shaw has posed:
    The punch does not connect, but Sebastian does not seem to mind too much the failure of the swing. He accepts the superhumanly strong slam of her foot into his midsection, showing no effect from the blow whatsoever. And perhaps that was part of his strategy as he wraps his other arm quickly around her outstretched leg, trying to grip it and yank her off-balance. If he can, it will shift into an attempt to throw her across the mat.

Blake Riviere has posed:
Well that was...a concern perhaps. She does acctually find herself grasped and yanked, flung into the air and towards the mat...and yet even as she arcs across the air she seems to right herself enough to roll and spring up to her feet all in a single movement that would probably have a few gymnasts blinking at its ease. "Clever man..." she muses softly as she shifts her position, seemingly waiting for him to attack rather that returning the agression. "Setting the rules knowing that the deck is stacked for you...I'd expect no less."

Her tone sounded almost...fond, or at the very least praising.

No mystical cheating on her part, shape-shifting or otherwise...it seemed she was enjoying the game as it was, forcing her to stay on the defense.

Sebastian Shaw has posed:
"Only a fool does not take every advantage he can," replies Sebastian as he starts to advance on Blake, watching her as she moves lithely into a defensive posture. "Of course, you have your own advantages, so do not act as if I am the only one."

He darts forward towards her, but pulls up at the last moment in a feint designed to get her to move, and if she bites, he will try to circle around. But instead of a punch, his attempt will be to grapple her.

Blake Riviere has posed:
He was stronger but had to catch her, she was faster but couldn't harm him without giving him any energy. It was an impass it seemed as she continued to weave and move. Interestingly enough, it appeared the pair of them both had the same idea at the same moment, him coming to grapple her as she attempted to redirect and sweep him, springing to attempt to wrap her thighs around his form and twist with intent to tangle and drive him down into the matting pinned beneath her...not that her usual follow-up would have any effect on him what-so-ever.

Sebastian Shaw has posed:
Sebastian was fast, but Blake was faster. And while he had prepared at least some for this fight, despite his boasting earlier, he had not _fully_ stacked the deck against her as much as he could have.

And so with similar plans in mind, and Blake's physical superiority for the moment, she is the one who prevails as he is too embroiled in his grapple attempt to evade hers.

He feels the thump of the ground against his back, granting him some measure of strength but not quite enough to dislodge Blake.

And so now the Squire rests atop the King, wrapped up in her legs.

"Looks like it's your move, Ms. Riviere."

Blake Riviere has posed:
Fangs revealed, irises red, she'd clearly had to draw on her physical gifts to pull off that move on the enhanced mutant. He could certainly cheat more, perhaps she could too. It was hard to know exactly where either of them had their limits lying and neither of them were going to be silly enough to advertise it, so instead they found herself in this moment, her looking down at him with that fanged smile.

"Well...is this the part where I should ask if you yield?" she questions, leaning down just enough even though it was almost certain she knew her advantage might well evaporate. "Surely you're not out of ideas just yet..."

Sebastian Shaw has posed:
Sebastian's eyes flicker up towards those fangs, studying them as they make their appearance. He matches the grin, although he lacks any pointy teeth with which to make it menacing. He has to settle for his overall charisma to do that.

"You know that I never yield," murmurs Sebastian. He moves with the suddenness of a serpent's strike, his hands moving up to grip her thighs as he uses that superhuman strength to lift himself up, reversing their position to drive her down onto the mat, but not dislodging the wrap of her thighs about him. "Nor am I ever out of ideas..."

Blake Riviere has posed:
It wasn't the earth moving, but she found herself lifted and slammed down. Leverage was good and her own strength might well match his at the moment...but that didn't change her actual physical weight and clearly he wasn't going to be giving up just yet. For someone pinned down and seemingly bested? Well, she hadn't lost that grin just yet. Instead there's a legitimate laugh from her lips and a click of her tongue. "Well now, that's much better..." she purrs. "The question becomes...who of us is going to get tired first. Honestly? I think..." she begins to speak, only for her form to melt away from his grasp, disappearing in a cold swirl of fog beneath him only for him to feel the wash of her breath against his ear.

"We're going to be at this all night..."