Beat the bar (Ryuu/open)

[Gabriel Seran]

San Francisco yielded many great activities Gabriel had been neglecting in his free time, being so absorbed in his efforts to begin a power struggle. He was attempting to gain control over his alter ego through meditation and extreme work out settings. His body was beginning to look far more tone than it had been earlier in the year. Muscles actually showing on the surface rather than hiding dormant.

Gabriel pressed the bar up again on the bench press. A bit of sweat permeating on his brow. He was not quite tired yet and he stood looking around at all the other gym members all looking aghast at the weight he'd been putting on. Those fights with Travis really made him want to bulk out and maybe perform better than he should have been. And when he had less time on his hands Reven was less likely to make an appearance.

Gabriel grabbed a towel and headed towards another room, the steam room. He needed to unwind and then hop about for another round. Maybe he'd piss someone off enough for a quick brawl.

[Ryuu]

Ryuu made his way to one of the gyms in San Francisco, dressed in a black tank-top and black long shorts, a towel hanging around his neck. Normally, he'd wouldn't go to the gym for anything, but something told him that he'd find something interesting in the gym. As he stepped into the gym, he took a quick glance around, finding only chumps who thought they were tough, just by lifting 150 off the bench. Yeah, right. He resisted the urge to roll his eyes, however, soon discovered that there was one guy who wasn't a chump. Gabriel. His once close friend and ally. He made his way into the gym, and walked over to the straight bench nearby Gabriel, and picked up two 50lbs weights, and placed one on each side of the bar. He then laid down on the bench and began lifting it.

Although he wasn't lifting as much weight as the other guys in the gym, he was able to keep up a steady flow of repetitions. After he had warmed up his arms, he sat up on the bench, a thin film of sweat forming on his face. Wiping the sweat off his face, Ryuu got up, and headed towards the steam room. Entering inside, he sat down, and let out a sigh, letting his muscles relax. The door of the steam room opened, but Ryuu was so relaxed, that he did not hear it open and shut. His eyes closed, Ryuu allowed his mind to relax and refocus itself, not realizing that Gabriel had come in and was here as well, very close by to be exact. "Ahhh..." He sighed contently, he needed a break, but instead, he may possibly end up getting another workout.

[Gabriel Seran]

Gabriel opened the door to be hit by a warm blast of heated steam working its way to escape its confines. He walked in with eyes at the floor, watering and trying to adapt to its new environment. It took but a moment till he heard the sigh to realize whom he was next to.

"Ryuu?" Gabriel asked and opened his eyes to catch his old friend sitting beside him clearly enjoying himself.

"What brings you here?" He asked in actual curiosity not aggressive in the slightest.

At this point Gabriel felt rather vulnerable all he had was a set of board shorts and a towel. Hit gear was stored away in a far off locker set to be unlocked later.

[Ryuu]

"Gabriel?" Ryuu's eyes snapped open, letting his eyes adjust to his surroundings, before spotting his old friend and ally sitting beside him, looking like he was trying to relax. "Same as you old friend, just trying to relax this battle scarred body of mine." Ryuu did have faded scars laced all over his upper torso and arms, mostly from all his spars and practices, but the most prominent scar was the one on his chest, the very scar Gabriel had given Ryuu. "And I can think of no better way to relax than to go to the steam room." Ryuu, while his voice was calm, he was still very much guarded whenever he was around Gabriel.

He never knew if Gabriel's alter ego, Reven, could come out at any given time. "What's up?" Ryuu asked, clad only in a pair of black board shorts and a towel hanging around his neck, beads of condensation from the steam had formed on his muscular torso, running down his developed six-pack, as he looked curiously at Gabriel, who seemed to look.... vulnerable you could say, though why, Ryuu was unsure of. If anything, Ryuu was more on guard and vulnerable than Gabriel, seeing as he wouldn't know when Reven could possibly make a cameo appearance.

[Gabriel Seran]

Gabriel made a small self conscious laugh, he still didn't know how the others thought of him since his "coming out" event. Reven had been lying low recently staying to the shadows perhaps these two had threatened his existence. He would stay hidden till an appropriate time when they no longer threatened his reign. Till then Gabriel would still be in his form of control but still he'd feel guilty he'd feel deeply hurt and burdened for the pain he'd caused.

"Aye, have to agree with you there, though I've been dying to spar." Gabriel shifted to alert Ryuu, "You know since he disappeared... i don't know but I feel weakness but at the same time a bit lighter..."

[Ryuu]

Now they were talking. Ryuu grinned slightly as Gabriel mentioned sparing. "You don't say old friend," Ryuu replied, as he saw Gabriel shift slightly, "And is that so? Well, maybe it's because a dark shadow that was once part of you isn't threatening you so much anymore. Alright then, if it's a spar you want, then I'll fight against you, I always enjoy a good spar once in a while." Ryuu wasn't one to deny a challenge. With that said, Ryuu stood up, and wiping the condensation that had formed on his chest, and walked out of the steam room, as he sat down on the bench and pulled on his shoes, before standing up, and pulled on his t-shirt.

Moving over to one of the free mats, Ryuu took his position. He turned and faced Gabriel, blocking out the noise of the gym, he was here to spar against Gabriel, and spar he would. Everything else didn't matter to him. "Are you ready?" He asked Gabriel, and went into his fighting stance, his feet spread apart shoulder-length, his right foot out in front, his body down low, keeping his center of balance relatively well. No leg sweeps here. He placed his right hand out, his left hand on level with his shoulder, near his face. "Let's go." He said to Gabriel, a determined look in his eyes.

[Gabriel Seran]

"Are you ready?"

Gabriel gave a court nod, good he'd get another go at the kid. Except this time the scales would be better matched. Gabriel would no longer have Reven on his side. Like a monkey on his back the monster would no longer be able to harm his friends. Gabriel walked to the pad and cracked his knuckles readily as he did it would a appear as though a crowd was gathering about them to watch with curios eyes.

"Let's go." They said simultaneously and Gabriel made his was to charge first more like a kick-boxing maneuver here. Bouncing towards Ryuu with decent speed he'd fire a good left jab at his friend's face with a traumatic speed. Gabriel would bounce back on the defense trying to avoid any grappling. When he lost control under a grappling situation Reven had no problem tearing shreds from flesh, he'd keep his control at a distance.

(OOC:
Strength: 65
Dexterity: 63
Constitution: 37
Intelligence: 17
Wisdom: 17
Charisma: 35 )

[Ryuu]

Ryuu watched as Gabriel gave him a curt nod before walking over to face him and got ready, cracking his knuckles as a crowd formed around them, curiously watching their fight, as Ryuu clapped his hands together, readying his Qi. When Gabriel fired a left jab at Ryuu's face as soon as he got within range at an impressive speed, Ryuu immediately reacted, instead of catching the punch, he dodged to his right, feeling the wind from the punch as it passed by, and snapping his left hand out, he extended his index and middle finger out and aimed a strike at Gabriel's left shoulder as he bounced back, trying to go on the defense.

If he blocked or counter-attacked Ryuu's strike, Ryuu would be ready, he still had his right hand to use, in case he needed to block or counter. The fight had begun. If he needed to, Ryuu would use his Qi, but that option was up in the air, and only if he needed to use it. "Bring it on." If his strike connected, Ryuu would pull his left arm back, before moving backwards, putting some space in between him and Gabriel. His style of fighting, Shifting Dragon, literally gave Ryuu thousands of different combination's of strikes he could use in this fight. But he wasn't out to hurt Gabriel, this was after all, a friendly spar. But it's not to say Ryuu wasn't going to give this fight his all. He gave his all in any fight, friendly or not.

[Gabriel Seran]

Gabriel took the shifted blow to the shoulder. Rather than letting it hinder his movements he rolled with it coming up closer to Ryuu. Gabriel was now within striking range but it also meant that Ryuu would have to retreat if he was to get pout of Gabriel's reach. Exactly what he wanted to take his friend down quick and fast. Get in range and not let him retreat.

Gabriel would pull in coming for a solid left fisted backhand to the face but at the last moment he'd duck and fire a right hand jab to Ryuu's gut avoiding any counter from above. With that hit he'd follow up with a left handed uppercut to the jaw. That was his overall strategy, become formless. Play to all his tactics, range, and close quarters. No escape.

[Ryuu]

Ryuu reacted the moment Gabriel launched his left fist in a backhand strike, but at the last minute, he ducked and instead, launched a right hand jab at Ryuu's gut. Ryuu had to admit, while Gabriel was stronger and faster, Ryuu's reaction to attacks was better. He timed his movement with the strike, as he leaned his left shoulder back, letting the fist sail past him, before tilting his head back and leaned backwards slightly, letting the uppercut sail past, though Gabriel's fist did connect with the side of Ryuu's cheek, hurting him slightly. While both Gabriel's arms were in motion however, Ryuu took this opportunity, and snapping his right hand out, he extended his index and middle finger, before striking at the back of Gabriel's left elbow as it sailed past him.

Since they were in close proximity, Gabriel would have a difficult time dodging it, though honestly, Ryuu knew anything could happen. If his strike connected, Ryuu would then strafe back, putting some distance between him and Gabriel. It seemed Gabriel was more of a close range fighter, and intended to take Ryuu down fast, without any opportunity to counter. But Ryuu wasn't going to go down so easily. Once he had time to focus and regulate his breathing, Ryuu would go back into his stance, as he held his hands loosely out in front of him, before lifting his left hand up at Gabriel and gave him the universal gesture for "Bring it on."

[Gabriel Seran]

Gabriel saw this coming, in a second he could immediately size Ryuu up. Tactical fighter, took advantage of weak situations. Moving too far into an attack led to serious repercussions. A small grin while Gabriel's arm was still up. With eh grace of a ballerina Gabriel twirled narrowly avoiding the bulk of the hit taking an edged knock about to the back shoulder as he spun about and then coming down with his hands clasped together into a balled fist. Gabriel aimed for the back of his head this time with more force.

Goal attained Formlessness. Surprise attacks with limited weak spots or at the very least fake weak spots to lure him in.

[Ryuu]

Ryuu's strike, while it did connect, where it struck however, was not where Ryuu had originally intended for it to land. Sine Gabriel had spun around, the strike landed on his back shoulder, and coming to a full 360, Ryuu saw Gabriel clasp his hands together into a balled fist and sent them slamming down, aiming for the back of Ryuu's head. Ryuu however, reacted to Gabriel's strike, since he had seen Gabriel's body move from the corner of his eye. Swinging his left arm out in a backwards motion as he moved his body with the strike, now facing Gabriel, Ryuu felt Gabriel's fist collide with his forearm, as he winced slightly from the pain he felt running through his arm from the amount of force from the collision. Fighting through and eating the pain however, Ryuu snapped his right arm out and aimed a fast right hook at Gabriel's stomach.

At the last minute though, Ryuu's hook changed into what looked like a jab, as he extended his index and middle finger out, now aiming for the top of Gabriel's ribs, just below the plate of bone covering his heart, aiming to knock the wind out of Gabriel. If his strike connected, which it probably would, seeing as both of Gabriel's arms had been blocked and were currently occupied, Ryuu reared his right arm back before firing a quick right uppercut into Gabriel's chin, after, he reared his right arm back once more, sending a flat-palmed strike at Gabriel's ribs. He wasn't going to let up on his assault, just as Gabriel went for the fast assault approach, so would Ryuu. It was just a matter of if Gabriel would be able to react to the attacks in time...

[Gabriel Seran]

Gabriel was strong and fast, a creature bred for this kind of troubles. Though certainly in Ryuu's mind this was a spar, which certainly it was. But on another level there was a certain purpose behind it. Somewhere down deep Ryuu had every right not to trust Gabriel because deep inside Reven knew he'd be back. Never to fully manifest but seldom actions proved louder...

Gabriel recoiled swiftly to place his hands close protecting the punch aimed at his gut. His hands would feel the tremor run up his arm but with the same focus Gabriel would be left unchanged in his directive. A darker presence about him held constant. His hands moved swiftly pulling the arm close to his chest. Whether the next assault was to work to its potential was dependent on the strike Ryuu dished out.

Gabriel's hands would move quickly to break the boys elbow disrupting the strength of it leaving him handicapped if he were not to back down. Gabriel would snap out of it soon as the break would be made.

"Ahh... I'm sorry!" Gabriel would say coming to his aid suddenly overwhelmed, "I don't know what got into me."

Of course if it was evaded Gabriel would have to back up again revert on the defensive once more.

[Ryuu]

His strike for the most part was blocked by Gabriel's hands, he had recoiled swiftly, thus allowing him to protect his gut. What happened next surprised Ryuu, but all the same, he reacted to it calmly and swiftly. The moment he saw Gabriel's hands shot out to grab onto his arm after blocking his strike, Ryuu retracted his right arm swiftly, just barely snatching his arm away from the jaws that was, Gabriel's hands, meaning to latch onto his arm, as he strafed backwards, putting some distance in between the both of them. He saw Gabriel back away just as he was doing, going back on the defensive.

Bringing his arms back up in front of him, his legs spread apart slightly, Ryuu focused on Gabriel, his gaze never wavering from him. He would watch every move, every possible strike Gabriel could and possibly do, never forgetting about the fact that Reven could and possibly come creeping out, and deep down, Ryuu still did not trust Gabriel completely, not like before at least. Ryuu then began to circle Gabriel, watching him like a hawk. With each revolution completed, Ryuu slowly closed the distance in between the two of them, focused and ready for any strike that Gabriel would launch his way.

[Gabriel Seran]

(ooc: sorry to keep you waiting kept skimming over this)

Ryuu made a quick reaction and was out of the problem quickly. For that much Gabriel was thankful. He didn't want to hurt Ryuu on such terms. He had better things in mind for the time being. He needed Ryuu at his best and yet he'd never seen him better the boy's training with Emily must have paid off. It certainly did when Gabriel trained with her. A small grin came to his face remembering those early days.

"All right, looks like you've been working hard." Gabriel noted lowering his offensiveness and his guard from the fight. In his mind there were no pressing issues to attend to.

"I'd like to see them when the time comes necessary to use them, when it really counts." he gave a small grin as if he were alluding to something.