Page 1 of 2
Close Quarters Combat
Posted: Sun Apr 02, 2023 1:26 pm
by Hakon
Hakon was perversely thrilled that Ajax didn't give up and that he fought his way out of the hold, instead. He didn't enjoy having a chunk of flesh missing from his finger or from having a few toes out of alignment, but it was easy enough to put them back to where they were supposed to be. Normally, he'd be concerned about burning vitessence like this, but in a week's time there would be more souls for the torch to absorb, and if that failed, he could always go to a house of healing and engulf any that were beyond help. He gave Ajax an approving smile.
"Good job, Ajax. It's easy for men like me to talk about honor in a fight -- we have advantages over men like you. The first thing you must do is ignore any call for such nonsense, because it will get you killed, and the same men who demanded a fair fight will use your corpse to wipe the mud off their boots."
He hadn't actually taught Ajax how to fight dirty, so it was evident he'd picked these tricks up from someone else. This was good. He had more knowledge of this than Hakon had thought.
"Those sorts of tactics may not work on people who have sufficient training to push through injury and ignore that they are hurt," Hakon said, implicitly answering the question of if Ajax had truly 'won' or not without drawing attention to the fact, "but most of the people you will encounter in a fight have not been trained to withstand injuries and endure pain. If you can surprise them, you can create opportunities for yourself. Then you capitalize on those opportunities until at least you are safe again. Whether that's because you've found an ally to help you, because you've incapacitated your opponent, or because you've fled the scene will depend on what else is going on. And you surprised me -- I didn't know you had it in you."
"So, if you feel like you know how to break a choke hold, we should probably work on, ah, actual grappling." Hakon said, trying to keep his tone even. "Andros has told me that it's common in Teos to wrestle, so perhaps you are already familiar with doing this for sport. Even if you've just seen it done, though, it will help. Attackers are unlikely to do this to you unless they are bigger than you such that they think they can easily overpower you at close quarters or because they don't feel they have any other option. In either case, there's a heightened amount of danger, here, because you're fighting against someone who likely has physical advantages against you, or someone who has the strength of desperation on their side, which can be a scary thing to behold."
"So, when you're ready, I'm going to tackle you to the ground, try to lock an arm or leg, and then stop when you submit. I'll do it twice to each limb, so you can get a sense of how it happens and what it feels like. It hurts, and you have to be able to work through the pain, or you're sunk. Once you get a sense of what it feels like, I'll start doing it half-speed so you can get a sense of how to break the holds. If you wish, you can also practice drawing your knife during such engagements. It ups the ante significantly to have a short range weapon like a dagger in play when grappling, but it doesn't necessarily mean you'll win just because you're armed and your opponent isn't. Especially if you're facing off against someone with weapons training, they might be able to take the knife off of you and use it against you, so don't rely on it to keep you safe."
Talking about the use of edged weapons in close combat helped him calm down a bit about the prospect of grappling with Ajax. He wasn't proud of it, but the thought of it was rather exciting. He didn't want the boy to think he was doing this for impure reasons, but so far his body was not as onboard with that message as the rest of him.
Re: Close Quarters Combat
Posted: Sun Apr 02, 2023 4:28 pm
by Andros
“Wrestling is our sport,” Ajax replied to Hakon’s suggestion. “It’s everything jousting and archery and horse racing are in Radenor all rolled into one. We do it at every festival in every village, and professionally in the big cities.” His ears got a little pink. “I never did it if I could avoid it, but I did love to watch. We, uh, wrestle naked in Teos. It’s a good show.”
Ajax’s nerves were popping as he got into position. Hakon had promised this was going to hurt, and if Hakon said that, Ajax was certain it was going to hurt a lot. The first time Hakon advanced on him he couldn’t make himself stand still. Instead he took three big steps backwards, dancing out of Hakon’s reach. Finally he stopped, planting his feet.
“Sorry. I don’t make much of a stoic. Probably why you’ve got a quota of mages to kill and I’m a merchant’s assistant. Come at me again, I’ll stand stay put.”
He managed this time. In an instant , Hakon tackled him to the ground for the second time in a week. This time he was ready for it but that didn’t make the landing any easier. Hakon was built like a brick wall and the ground wasn’t much more forgiving. It didn’t knock the wind out of him and he had the presence of mind to squirm, even to make a lunge for Hakon’s face with a left hand that was very briefly free.
None of it was any use. The struggle was over quickly. Hakon pinned Ajax’s left hand down with his enormous bulk and slipped his left arm around Ajax’s right shoulder, shoving the boy’s right arm into an unnatural position that sent pain shooting through it. Then a hand closed around Ajax’s throat in a pattern that was becoming quite familiar. Hakon clearly favored that move in both real and training aggression.
Further resistance would only extend the time Ajax’s arm and shoulder were in pain. There was only one thing to do and Ajax did it without any shame.
“I yield, Hakon.”
Re: Close Quarters Combat
Posted: Sun Apr 02, 2023 5:20 pm
by Hakon
Hakon, true to his word, stopped immediately, getting off of Ajax and offering an arm up for the lad to pull him to his feet.
Once he was certain Ajax was ready he repeated the motion: tackle, grab, counter Ajax's attempts to stop him, twist into submission, hand on the throat. This time, Ajax improved by not trying to escape, but it hurt worse the second time than it had on the first, apparently because the lad groaned low in his throat in a way that made Hakon achingly, shamefully aroused. He disregarded his own protocol and just got off of Ajax immediately without waiting for him to say that he submitted.
Hakon was not overly pale for a Norunner; he spent a far amount of time outdoors and he lacked the fair hair and blue eyes that some of his peers had. Even so, the red flush of embarrassment showed up very clearly on his features, and it made a rare appearance this time. He turned away from Ajax, willing it to go down. It was stupid that it happened like this. It was because he hadn't had anything for a while, he told himself. Well he hadn't had anything of any real consequence since he'd had Ajax, but normally, he found some amount of release with himself, and the close quarters this trip required had enjoined him from that.
So he thought about his homeland: its green fir trees, some with little blue berries, snow-capped mountains, and beautiful valley fjords. Landscapes and deep breaths, and he was back.
"Um," he said, "I'll do leglocks next, okay? I'll focus on your ankle."
That would be better, he thought. Less full body contact than with armlocks.
Re: Close Quarters Combat
Posted: Sun Apr 02, 2023 7:23 pm
by Andros
Ajax felt it before he saw it. Something big poked him in his leg, then Hakon was scrambling off of him and the mage’s situation was plainly visible. Ajax was a person who thought about that part of the male anatomy considerably more often than every six seconds. He could not look at Hakon without picturing his in pornographic detail. Still seeing it at that moment that took Ajax by surprise.
That’s because Ajax was in a substantial amount of pain, and not the fun kind either. He’d been smashed hard to the ground by a giant and had his arm wrenched nearly out of its socket - twice. And that was on top of everything else. He did his best to fight back this time, as he’d been taught, but again it was no use. Before Hakon had gotten off of him, Ajax had decided he was done for the day, or at least for now.
Now Ajax was watching Hakon blush and stammer in embarrassment, and it was just delicious. Funny and flattering all at the same time. Of course Hakon was still into him. He hadn’t lost any of his good looks, quite the contrary, and he’d done a good job with Hakon the first time they met. Hakon liked it rough and the wrestling probably did it for him too, if Ajax was guessing right. This evened the score between the two men a bit. If they’d been on Hakon’s home turf all day, this was Ajax’s.
He didn’t get off the ground immediately but sat up and rubbed his sore shoulder. As the blood went back to his head, he composed and rejected several versions of the obvious joke. How are we supposed to do leg locks when you’re working with three legs? Hakon might not get it. You’ve got a funny way of asking a man out on a date. Implied Ajax would accept such an invitation. Well, he’d like to but it was a bad idea. No, that wasn’t it but he had it.
“Hakon, if you’re going to conjure up your mace it’s probably of more use in your hand than in your pants,” he said with a grin, which Hakon couldn’t see it since he had turned away in shame.
Ajax stood up, feeling pleased even though every inch of his body below the chin was on fire.
“Everything hurts and you need to cool off. Can we call it a day? Or just take a break? I could use some of that healing magic too. My right arm is a mess especially, and I think I’m bruising all over.”
Re: Close Quarters Combat
Posted: Sun Apr 02, 2023 7:53 pm
by Hakon
Normally, Hakon did not accept "I'm sore" as an excuse to suspend training. If there was soreness now, there'd still be soreness later, and they had a lot of material to cover. In this case, however, he was more willing to listen to Ajax. For one thing, not listening to the lad might make him uncomfortable, given their history. For another, he was unsure he could continue in a way that was respectful to Ajax.
"I didn't conjure my-- oh," he said. If he had been red before, he was crimson now. "Um, yes. Perhaps enough training for one day. We covered quite a bit, anyhow."
He still hadn't turned around to look at Ajax. He knew he needed to. He knew, objectively, that this was far less onerous than taking on a rogue or clearing out some bandits for Jorikford. He also knew that he would much rather do that than continue to have a conversation about his body with the first and only man he'd ever been with.
He channeled vitessence to Ajax from his torch, a white line forming from the object at his hip to the man standing behind him. He was pleased that it didn't rush into Ajax's body with any real intensity. That meant he hadn't lost control and actually hurt the lad. Likely just cuts, scrapes, bruises, and sore muscles. There were worse things. When the vitessence was no longer heading to major areas that he'd targeted like the neck and solar plexus, he let the magic stop. Ajax was not completely healed up, but it would hopefully keep him from feeling wretched the next day.
Finally, his condition resolved itself. He'd been worried for a moment that ti was going to be like it had been in his adolescence, where training with certain men was such an aphrodisiac that he avoided the grounds on certain days that he knew they'd be there. Heinrich, in particular, had been an issue. At the time, Hakon hadn't really had much of an idea of what that meant; he only realized his feelings for the other man years after their acquaintance was cut short by the other's death. He'd wondered idly if it would have mattered if he had known. Heinrich had been courting a woman, so probably not, but Hakon had been convinced that he wanted to court women, then, too. It was impossible to say. Mostly, thinking about it made him sad and he tried not to.
"So -- I hope you learned a lot," he said, facing Ajax. He'd gotten himself under control and his expression was neutral. "We can, uh, bathe. Separately," he clarified as the blush crept back on his features. He didn't want Ajax to think he was being lecherous.
"I don't want to pay for a full bath, though. It won't be big enough for me anyway. So just a hot pail for washing will be sufficient for me. Then, dinner and hopefully an early night, and ride out at first light after breakfast. Sound good?" He wondered if Ajax would bring up what happened or if he'd be nice and let it drop. Hopefully, he'd amassed enough goodwill for the latter option, but Hakon knew better than to rely on hope.
Re: Close Quarters Combat
Posted: Sun Apr 02, 2023 9:29 pm
by Andros
When Hakon had a rogue on the defensive, hands up and back against the wall, did he hold back? Did he slink away and show mercy? Of course not. He conjured his mace and his stars and went in for the kill. No one would expect otherwise. It would be cruel to ask him not to finish the job.
Likewise, Ajax had the big mage - his tormentor, his trainer, perhaps his friend - on his back with a sword to the throat. He wasn’t about to restrain himself either. Out of gratitude for the healing, Ajax looked elsewhere while it was happening. That was all the mercy Hakon could expect.
Then he looked at his target, shame worn openly on every inch of his face, and thought better of it. Ajax had struggled to slash at Hakon, to hit him, to elbow him, and now he hesitated to tease him when he was so visibly unhappy.
“Relax, Hakon. I have that effect on a lot of people. And there’s no shame that you like pinning boys down. A lot of people like being roughed up in bed, you know. I’m something of an agliophile myself. Isn’t that a great word? Means we like pain, giving it or getting it. Or both for some men.”
Hakon looked like he wanted to die. He had seemed happier when he had a fireplace poker through his leg. Ajax wasn’t trying to twist the knife, really he wasn’t. He was just so open about sex and desire where Hakon had a stick inserted so far up his backside it might never be found. Ajax thought he was holding back and Hakon probably thought Ajax was tormenting him on purpose.
“Relax,” he said, trying to be sincere. “I didn’t want to make you miserable. You don’t have to be ashamed in front of me, of all people. You know it’s ok to like who you like, right? You don’t have to pretend not to be attracted to me just cause we have some bad history. And liking pain, whether you’re giving it or getting it. That’s as common as…as” he struggled for the right metaphor then fell back on one from Teos. “It’s as common as lice in a shepherd’s beard.”
Re: Close Quarters Combat
Posted: Mon Apr 03, 2023 12:48 am
by Hakon
He hadn't known there was a word for it: agliophile. He wasn't certain, but he assumed it was "ag" like in "agony," which was near enough to how he liked things, much to his eternal consternation.
"So, if there's a word for such things, it's not unheard of, then?" Hakon asked, bracing himself for Ajax to pull the rug out from under him and deride him further. "I had not thought there were... that it was... that this was known and understood, by others."
As they headed back to their room, it was tempting to act as though the conversation never happened. He would have loved to talk to Ajax about anything else, or about nothing at all. It would have been easier that way. He could quiz Ajax about what he'd learned today, perhaps, and reclaim the conversational high ground. Ajax's nonchalance about the topic at hand, though, made Hakon almost desperate to keep talking about it. He'd never had the opportunity to discuss it, not with anyone, and Ajax was bound to his side for six weeks, even if the conversation went poorly. It was too good of an opportunity to pass up.
With the door closed, Hakon decided to be brave and talk about what was on his mind.
"I think, being the way I am, that I'm not supposed to like this sort of thing. It seems unfair, and cruel, that I... like the things I do. Unfair to my prospective partners," he clarified.
"Like, ah, when we were together. You were already scared of me, you said as much earlier. How bad would it have been if you'd known that I liked pinning you down and making you cry out in pain? You would have thought me a monster. And you'd have been right."
Re: Close Quarters Combat
Posted: Mon Apr 03, 2023 7:59 am
by Andros
This felt important. Hakon was visibly unhappy getting the words out of his mouth, his face tense and almost pained. But once he'd asked his questions he sat down on the bed and looked up at Ajax with the most innocent, vulnerable expression. He looked ten years younger, maybe more. He needed Ajax’s guidance and approval, rather desperately. And Ajax was inclined to give them. If soothing his worries about sex didn’t win him Hakon’s friendship, what would?
He decided a physical gesture would signal his acceptance and affection better than words. He got down to the ground in front of Hakon and helped him unlace his boots. It made Ajax feel very close to the big, awkward mage.
“I’d be a terrible squire if I made you take off your own boots, wouldn’t I?” He joked. This position made it natural to talk without making eye contact, which might help Hakon feel a little more comfortable.
“I want to be very clear with you Hakon. What we did together in Alecto’s cottage was very special to me. You’re one of the best lovers I’ve ever had, and you were a perfect gentleman. I wasn’t afraid of you then, I was infatuated. You were a hero to me. You still are, you know.”
He moved on to the other boot, not pausing.
“When you were rough with me it was because I asked you to be. I enjoy it that way. I 'challenged' you to wrestle - not the other way round - because I knew it would be so much fun to lose and get pinned by this handsome giant who'd just saved me. You managed to be so kind and tender and still knock me around just the way I like. It was wonderful.. Not everybody can pull it off.”
With the second boot off, Ajax got up and moved to a chair, crossing his legs to unlace his own shoes. He was still sore, though the Hakon’s torch had done wonders for him. His back gave a little twinge when he sat. A hot bath would do him a lot of good.
“I don’t know where you got the idea that it’s wrong to play around with pain if your partner is willing and eager. Lots of men enjoy it just like we do, and I’m told even more women. Did your other lovers shame you for it or something?”
Re: Close Quarters Combat
Posted: Mon Apr 03, 2023 10:52 am
by Hakon
Hakon flushed further still. This thing that he was hung up on, this aspect of himself, it was normal? The kind of thing that everyone knew about, perhaps, but not him, because. Well. How would he know, exactly?
"There's," he hissed out through gritted teeth, stricken. "I can't think of what my other lovers have said, as, well, there haven't been any," he was silent for far too long for it not to be awkward.
"Just you. i've-- there's been-- I've done things, a time or two," he continued, voice barely above a whisper. "But you're the only one I've been with in that way. People tend to assume it isn't so, I suppose because of my age, but I have far more experience killing men than I do loving them."
He knew it wasn't supposed to be this way. He was supposed to want to sleep with anything that moved, and take home any boy who was willing. In practice, however, people rarely caught his eye, and he did not meet many people because of being in the tower. Also, flirting was just a mystery to him. There had been times when Andros told him later on that someone had been eyeing him and generally, he didn't even know who Andros was talking about. Not only did he fail to notice such things, he failed to notice them so totally that it did not even register. In this way, he felt blind, hobbling around in a space that for most people was well illuminated while he searched in vain for a lantern. Ajax had been a bright spot where he was certain the lad wanted him, and it had been all the more amazing because of how good it had felt, and then. Well.
They were together again, now, in the present. Hakon wished he could say it was water under the bridge, but in actuality, the mere acknowledgement of all that had happened between them made it even worse that he was telling Ajax all of this stuff. He knew that men like him were supposed to have prowess, long lists of conquests, and many notches on the bed post. It pained him to admit to anyone that he did not measure up to what was expected of him.
Re: Close Quarters Combat
Posted: Mon Apr 03, 2023 12:20 pm
by Andros
When Hakon made his revelation, Ajax held in a gasp. He held it in because that would have made Hakon feel worse, but that news was the last thing he expected. Nothing about their time together suggested Hakon was so inexperienced.
It really changed everything, almost as much as learning Hakon had loved him back then. He felt a deep empathy for the mage. He wanted to show that without coming off as condescending.
He’d gotten one shoe off so far and was unlacing the second when Hakon made his admission. Ajax knew what he needed to do. He uncrossed his legs and hopped on his one shod foot over to the bed, then sat down right next to Hakon and grabbed his hand, giving it a squeeze.
“I had no idea. You were so good with me, and such a hero. It didn’t even occur to me that I was your first.” He shook his head, sadly. “We were both so stupid, Hakon. You should have told me, and you should have told me how you felt about me, too. And I shouldn’t have panicked and run away like a coward. We would never have ended up in such a mess if we’d just spoken honestly with one another.”
He looked up at Hakon, considering things, then leaned in and put a head on his shoulder. He decided to be vulnerable himself. It seemed only fair, since Hakon was exposing something he was so clearly ashamed of. Hakon should know the truth about him, too.
“You weren’t my first. I’m sorry if you don’t want to hear that, but there were dozens before you. I was…well I was a whore. I wasn’t exactly exchanging sex for money, but I did have affairs with rich men who’d give me ‘gifts’ and that’s what it amounted to. Not that I didn’t sleep around for fun too, I did, but a lot of it was to help me get by. And I had some lovers who scared me, much worse than you did, and I’d just run away.”
He sighed, hoping Hakon wouldn’t hate him even more for saying all this.
“You were different. You were special because you saved me and you were so kind. I should have realized you weren’t cut from the same cloth as those others, but I was dumb and bolted when you spooked me. I thought you were just another jealous brute. I really wish I hadn’t taken your stuff and run.”
It was crushing to think about. Hakon must have felt so betrayed when Ajax left him, used and robbed and miserable, like he’d trusted the wrong man. Ajax knew he had good reason to run when he did, but that didn’t make his growing guilt any less burdensome.
He started to cry a little. Softly, just tears falling down his face. “I’m really sorry, Hakon. I hope you can forgive me someday.”