We were in something like a gaming store, I'm not sure, but there weren't tables, it just seemed like that was the place. There was an aquarium - that is, fish tank, but we called it aquarium - and the room was like a really bold L. We all were proficient in some kind of weapon, but only three of us used quarterstaves, and when the big, muscley, bearded, and extremely aggressive man who used them challenged me, I avoided the fight, so he pretty much forced it on the other girl, who was pretty small, sort of slender, and was dark-skinned and dressed in greens, I remember. He was stronger, larger, and much more aggressive than she, and more experienced too, and the only thing that actually made it a match was that their speeds were about equal, so she could keep blocking him. It was kind of like watching a level 4 half-orc go against a level 1 elf.
Someone had set bounds before the start of the match, and so there were places not to go, and things not to break - specifically, the aquarium and the ceiling. There were also a bunch of poles off to one corner, by me.
He broke her staff pretty quickly, but instead of declaring victory continued to attack, so she grabbed a pair of those poles to keep defense, and he took that as permission to grab three himself and start attacking wildly, poles in one hand and quarterstaff in the other. I wanted to intervene, because I liked the girl, and because it was so obviously unfair, but if I tried to, the man would take that as a challenge and beat me down as well. And then he'd try and claim something from me as well, as right of victor, which I didn't want to happen. So I put my quarterstaff away and took a pole instead, and watched.
After he accidentally broke his own staff against the ground, he went back to attacking somewhat more normally, but three of those poles against two still wasn't fair. He drove her back, and back, and across the line that marked the fighting grounds, but instead (again) of declaring victory, continued to go after her, until he stepped across himself. I think he wanted to throw her through the glass door and into the mall.
In any case, since I wasn't using my staff, and he'd really broken the rules, I took advantage of the fact that the poles were longer to get mine hooked between his elbows and his stomach and shoved him back into the ring.
From there on is kind of fuzzy, except that I had to take further part without actually being drawn into the fight, until he in his selfishness decided to take a break in the middle of a bout that was more than sparring, and that he'd already technically won and lost a couple times, to go get himself a drink.
The girl was sitting on the ground by then, and looking very tired, so I picked her up. It was kind of like picking up a cat, but with an elvin form and slight bits of romance involved.
And then I woke up.
Someone had set bounds before the start of the match, and so there were places not to go, and things not to break - specifically, the aquarium and the ceiling. There were also a bunch of poles off to one corner, by me.
He broke her staff pretty quickly, but instead of declaring victory continued to attack, so she grabbed a pair of those poles to keep defense, and he took that as permission to grab three himself and start attacking wildly, poles in one hand and quarterstaff in the other. I wanted to intervene, because I liked the girl, and because it was so obviously unfair, but if I tried to, the man would take that as a challenge and beat me down as well. And then he'd try and claim something from me as well, as right of victor, which I didn't want to happen. So I put my quarterstaff away and took a pole instead, and watched.
After he accidentally broke his own staff against the ground, he went back to attacking somewhat more normally, but three of those poles against two still wasn't fair. He drove her back, and back, and across the line that marked the fighting grounds, but instead (again) of declaring victory, continued to go after her, until he stepped across himself. I think he wanted to throw her through the glass door and into the mall.
In any case, since I wasn't using my staff, and he'd really broken the rules, I took advantage of the fact that the poles were longer to get mine hooked between his elbows and his stomach and shoved him back into the ring.
From there on is kind of fuzzy, except that I had to take further part without actually being drawn into the fight, until he in his selfishness decided to take a break in the middle of a bout that was more than sparring, and that he'd already technically won and lost a couple times, to go get himself a drink.
The girl was sitting on the ground by then, and looking very tired, so I picked her up. It was kind of like picking up a cat, but with an elvin form and slight bits of romance involved.
And then I woke up.