Let's try that again...

[evillurks]

Now that he's growing accustomed to having her as a true agent again, Myra's recovery in her own world puts The Shadow slightly short-handed. He finds his own wheezing a severe liability whenever stealth is needed, forcing him to rely on other agents for quiet investigations. The alternate solution, and one he struggles to uphold, is to be supremely diligent in taking care of himself except when he truly needs to take to the streets firsthand. The restriction grates on his nerves, and coordinating agents to do some of the footwork takes up more time.
He is careful, following the unexpected incident in ancient Japan, and he is also busy. The drug market has gone fairly quiet, but there is a definite gradual increase in violent crime. Arresting the individuals involved seems to have no impact on this slow crescendo. The network is spread wide and thin, scratching the ground for clues. After a matter of days, The Shadow has done all he can do about the matter. Once again he must wait, sift the city through his agents, and hope some vital puzzle piece comes to light. On this break from work he recalls a social obligation. A morning outing has him arriving at the Rettigue apartment with sake and scotch. The place has been abandoned the past few days, but that means there's no paperwork to tidy. The grand spaces and spartan furnishings should make it a comfortable place for a blind man to visit.

When the sake is warm and the cups set out, he sends off an invitation, and then laughs quietly at his own unfamiliar attempt at hospitality.

Comments

[evillurks.livejournal.com]

Ichi's humble deception is one The Shadow can well understand. While it's sometimes aggravating to be misjudged due to his age, he's learned that playing the part of a feeble old man can have its advantages.

"Oh, certainly. I have knee pads..." Yoga and tai-chi can only do so much, and his knees are likely not quite as resilient as Ichi's. He does try on his knees a few times, however, just to get the feel of it for more extensive practice later. Ichi will find him a very quick study, although that's hardly a surprise. When he feels he has the movements down well enough to know how they should feel, he takes a moment to stand and rest. "Would you mind a brief practice at the proper speed? It might be nice to get a feel for it all with an opponent, and I'll pull my blows." His tone is light, careful to not pressure Ichi into a sparring session if he doesn't feel up to it, or doesn't quite trust The Shadow. On the other hand, Ichi has a sword in his cane, while The Shadow does not.

[blind-masseur.livejournal.com]

This is a 'duel' that Ichi has no problem agreeing to.

"Sure!" He's enthusiastic. It's been so long since he had a chance to spar, instead of fighting for his life, he's more than happy to oblige. "I'll be the attacker." He waggles his cane in the air a bit as he smiles.

[evillurks.livejournal.com]

"Just try not to put me into the hospital." His tone is amused, but he shares Ichi's enthusiasm for a friendly fight. This is not an opportunity he has often, either.

The Shadow slides into a defensive stance, cane at his side, trying to consciously listen to Ichi's movements as much as watching them.

[blind-masseur.livejournal.com]

"Just don't give me a reason to." He retorts back with a genial laugh. He's still smiling as he assumes his regular stance, cane at his side. "I'll attack the way I usually am." He pulls out the cane, holding it like a regular sword and rotating his body slightly, so he's in a more standard stance. As he points himself at The Shadow, the smile disappears from his face as he concentrates.

The wait feels like hours as he keeps himself perfectly still for a minute, before he takes a calculated lunge at The Shadow, cane raising over his head and coming back down for a swing.

[evillurks.livejournal.com]

It is The Shadow's habit to stand very still, controlling his breathing to be quiet, when he lurks in the dark. That may partly account for the length of time ichi prepares himself to attack. When he does, The Shadow whirls out of the way, drawing the cane as he goes, so that the edge of it brushes Ichi's side in passing. Even were it a blade, that would not be much of an injury. He is still learning. The whirl comes to a stop behind the blind swordsman, and The Shadow's breathing is still very quiet. He holds stock still, waiting warily.

[blind-masseur.livejournal.com]

Ichi pauses, turning slowly in place as he remains on guard. The Shadow's breathing is nearly impossible to track. Even so, he tilts his head, trying to track the illusive man. He shifts his feet carefully, sliding into a different stance. He has patience, and gives a gentle sniff of the air. There's another burst of energy, the cane swiping at the air in front of The Shadow, but it's still in the right direction, and advancing towards him as Ichi prepares another strike.

He's a painfully difficult enemy to track. In the back of his mind, Ichi is glad it's only a sparring situation.

[evillurks.livejournal.com]

Now that the wheezing has been nearly banished by medicines and rest, scent may be the best clue Ichi has to go on. The Shadow makes a mental note of the sniff, reminding himself once again to look into some way to neutralize that. The attack comes more swiftly on the heels of that than he expected, but Ichi's near miss buys him time. Again he whirls to one side, but not as far. This time he strikes out with his own cane as he turns, catching Ichi's briefly and attempting to send him into a spin and away by their locked 'blades'. He knows the move, if successful will leave anyone briefly disoriented and facing the wrong way. Belatedly he wonders if real katana blades would stand up to being used for leverage in such a manner.

[blind-masseur.livejournal.com]

The move catches Ichi by surprise, and it sends him spinning, and he only stops himself from falling to the floor by using the momentum to continue the spin so he returns to face The Shadow. To say that he is impressed is an understatement, as he turns his cane parallel to the floor, and adopts the reverse hold on it, keeping it stationary in space.

"Heh, got me good there, Shadow-san." The tone of his voice is telling in that he doesn't expect an answer, which would give away the man's location. Carefully, he inches his back foot forward, and then slides the other along the floor. He's on the hunt again.

[evillurks.livejournal.com]

The Shadow allows himself a smile, but he says nothing, still on the defensive. His own feet move, very quietly, as he shifts his stance into something more ready for movement. He's as silent as he can be with that move, but Ichi's hearing just may be too extraordinary.

[blind-masseur.livejournal.com]

The shifting of feet earns an alert pause by Ichi, who does not betray that he has pinpointed their direction until his spins on his feet and takes a wordless lunge at The Shadow, eyes wide-open and pupils rolled high in his head, revealing only the ghostly whites of his eyes as he bears down on The Shadow with his cane. If it weren't for the sheathed sword and true intent of the exercise, the attack might almost be considered savage with the way Ichi has launched himself at The Shadow.

[evillurks.livejournal.com]

The pause itself hints that he's been found, and The Shadow is doubly on the alert by the time Ichi attacks. His savage expression and opened eyes make little impact on a man used to fighting all nature of strange people, but the sight is mentally filed away to be mused over later.

This time there is no whirling away, and the vicious attack is met with an equally forceful defense. He raises the polished cane and hooks Ichi's away, sliding down the length of it towards the blind man. If he can hold their locked canes above his shoulder and head long enough, he whisks a quick, light punch to the swordsman's chest, then pushes himself away in a spin to get out of reach once more. If he had a second weapon in that hand, such as a knife, the blow would count.

[blind-masseur.livejournal.com]

Ichi halts in place as he feels The Shadow's fist make contact. He feels his shoulders tighten and he sinks into a lower stance, gripping his cane with both hands. It's difficult for him to concede to the fair touch, it's bruised his ego to have been outmaneuvered by the man, and so he keeps his tense position, fighting the temptation to strike out.

His temper cools after a few spare moments, and he gives a wry smile. He remains ready, though.

"You have the first hit." There's a hint of betraying reluctance in his voice at the acknowledgment. "Want to continue?" He'll take silence as consent.

[evillurks.livejournal.com]

If he had retaliated immediately, The Shadow was prepared for it, and he's mildly surprised not to have to defend himself right away. He hesitates to answer, catching his breath as quietly as he knows how. Adrenaline has risen to shake off the effects of the scotch, and he's not quite ready to let go of the practice. The cane remains angled across his body in the back-handed grip, ready to ward off a quick blow.

[blind-masseur.livejournal.com]

Ichi grins, his shoulders visibly relaxing now that he has the chance to try to get his own touch in. He lowers the cane so that the end rests on the ground, it's his most common technique, and it usually eggs on his attackers. He realizes The Shadow has as much patience as he does though, so instead, he uses the moment to figure out the direction that The Shadow probably last whirled away to, and listens. His nose flares slightly as he turns his head to the side. There's a calculating pause though, before he bursts into motion, this time, he is so low to the ground that he practically slides across the floor, taking what looks like an awkward swing upward as he comes at The Shadow.

[evillurks.livejournal.com]

For a tall man, a low attack is the hardest to defend against. He drops in a crouch but his knees aren't ready for it after the earlier practice, and thus the move is a fraction too slow. He lashes out low with the cane, hoping to hit Ichi rather than simply the floor, but he expects to take a bruising this time.

[blind-masseur.livejournal.com]

The cane comes up under The Shadow's guard, and while Ichi does put the breaks on most of his forward momentum, he still snaps the cane up, and into The Shadow's gut, trying to avoid a direct hit to his lungs. Turning to the side he slides away, trailing the cane behind him as he turns and moves into a more defensive position, preparing for a second strike.

[evillurks.livejournal.com]

The blow would be worse if it struck higher, but as it is he lets out a wheeze. He dances back and away, still light on his feet, and takes a few seconds to steady his breathing. As much as he tries to breathe silently, he cannot now prevent a few quiet rattles that betray his location. He continues to hold the cane ready, however, watching Ichi and bracing for the next rush. There is a move in his mind, but any move must be timed to Ichi's own to prevent him from hearing it coming.

[blind-masseur.livejournal.com]

At the wheezing, Ichi turns his shoulders and raises the cane again, pointing his ear directly at The Shadow. The sound is very faint, but it's all that he needs to track his movements. Trying to take advantage of the sound before The Shadow can quiet it again, he charges forward boldly, not quite as low as before, and striking down with the 'blade' of the cane.

[evillurks.livejournal.com]

The Shadow allows a louder wheeze as Ichi charges, then drops forward in a low lunge, sliding across the hardwood floor on his side to swing the cane at Ichi's legs. It's a hard pose to defend from, but if the move succeeds then that won't matter. He's accustomed to taking such risks, and to having them pay off. The best course in a fight is the least expected.

[blind-masseur.livejournal.com]

Ichi manages, through luck, to pick up one foot as the sound of sliding reaches his ears, but the other foot, still planted and providing forward momentum, is caught squarely by The Shadow's cane and it easily throws Ichi off balance. He instinctively clutches his cane to his chest with both hands, as he performs a moderately impressive acrobatic of turning his fall so that he lands on his back. He's ready to block any incoming strokes from above, but the landing on the hard floor takes some of the strength from him as he sucks in a gasping breath. As soon as he can, he sits up, cane raised.

[evillurks.livejournal.com]

The Shadow rolls to his feet once he's slid past, wheezing a little himself. He takes in Ichi's pose on the floor, rises from his crouch, and approaches without making an effort to mask his breathing or footsteps. A large, slightly gnarled hand reaches for the blind man's, and he begins to speak, then gives a rattling cough. After a moment he tries again, bracing himself to haul Ichi to his feet. "I think... we each need a last drink to recover." There is good humour in his voice, but it will be a few minutes more before his breathing settles down.

[blind-masseur.livejournal.com]

At the disarming footsteps, Ichi relaxes, letting go of his cane with one hand and grabbing onto The Shadow's. He tries to use his cane, more than The Shadow to get up, but the added effort is helpful. He leans on the cane a bit as he catches his breath, and smiles.

"I think, I have to agree, Shadow-san." Ichi straightens up, stretching his back slightly and turning towards the table. Before he starts walking towards it though, he ducks his head and turns towards The Shadow slightly. "I didn't irritate your breathing too much, I hope?" He sounds honestly apologetic.

[evillurks.livejournal.com]

The Shadow is strong enough to pull him up, but any assistance eases the stress on his knees and lungs. He lets Ichi go once he's steadily on his feet, and rests briefly on the cane. "I'm fine." He coughs, rattlingly, and rummages in his pockets. "Cumulative damage. I'm an old man, that's all." He sounds mildly annoyed about it, and there is a strange, brief hissing noise combined with a deeper wheezing breath. He's not comfortable with the little inhalers the Clinics have given him, but Ichi can't see, and that lessens his embarrassment.

He swings the cane once, harmlessly, as he follows to the sofa. "That was instructive..." He leans the cane against the couch, and pours the last of the sake for Ichi, and more scotch for himself. The sake has cooled by now, unfortunately.

[blind-masseur.livejournal.com]

To be honest, Ichi doesn't care at this point if the sake is cold or piping hot. He gladly accepts it and drowns the aches from the sparring. With the adrenaline wearing off, he notes an ache in his arm, and feels the bandage. The bloody spot has grown slightly, but not much. He slides a finger under the bandage and shrugs as he feels some warmth beneath it, and wipes his hand on the bandage.

"Heh, retribution for bringing your wheeze back." He kneels before the table and refills his cup. There's one more drink left in the bottle. He sips a bit more reserved at the second cup. "That was the most fun I've had in a while, Shadow-san. I hope you enjoyed it?"

[evillurks.livejournal.com]

Scotch is equally useful for driving away the complaints of his knees. There's still enough for a couple of glasses in that bottle, since it's substantially larger, but it will keep for another time.

The Shadow gives a whispery chuckle that echoes and rattles in the huge living room. He's sounded better, but he's nowhere near as badly off as he was after their prolonged battle in Ichi's world. "I did. I'd be willing to go another round sometime, when we've both recovered." He takes an appreciative swallow of scotch and a deeper wheeze of air. "I could send you off with some clean bandages, if you want."