#thread: no secondscoping please

[heavy-draw]

Shamir's not blind to the fact that she's being pitied, and the thought makes her want to speak up-- but it's a silly competition, made outside of any official capacity. If the student feels like she needs to make things harder on herself, then so be it; it's not like Shamir to care about the little details of these sorts of things. It's been a waste of time from the beginning, and now it's only serving to make her look.... really, really bad.

Roll: 1d20 = 4!

That shot was a little better than the last, but something is off. She knows that arrow should've sailed straight down the middle, but it veered off to the right instead-- violet eyes narrow as she turns her bow in her hands, unsure if something's gone awry with the structure. The string looks fine, her grip hasn't changed... maybe it's just an off day, where her vision opts to play tricks on her. Either way, she's got to salvage this. She's one of the top Knights of Seiros, she can't be losing to a student when she knows that she can do so much better. There's a bit of luck involved in this, though, and Shamir simply sighs and shakes her head. "It's not my day."

@craneswings

no secondscoping, please

a duel for the ages!!

[heavy-draw]

Aha, she's not half bad. Sure, she's a bit over the top and energetic, but the girl is clearly capable of stilling her hand when it matters-- and when the arrow is let loose, Shamir knows it'll strike close to the center far before it ever meets its mark. She swiftly takes her own position in the moments following... finding herself a little bit more invested in this than she would've initially believed. It's been a long time since she's had a chance to have a good competition between archers, as others within the Knights of Seiros couldn't hold a candle to her skill and precision.

Roll: 1d20 = ... 2!

But apparently, Shamir has been cursed by the Goddess. Or whoever was watching. Because this time, the arrow hits the very edge of the target and bounces off, the point not being straight enough to actually puncture the cloth. She remains completely still, staring down the range with nothing but a blank look on her face. What was she doing? A shot like that should've been a piece of cake, and it should've been smooth sailing after she released the tension in the bowstring. Was her bow faulty? Did she lose her touch? What....

"... Honestly, I have nothing to say about that one."

@craneswings

no secondscoping, please

a duel for the ages!!

[heavy-draw]

She wishes the ground would open up and swallow her whole in the seconds that Yuzu resorts to begging in front of her, offering to go as far as groveling-- honestly, had the situation devolved into that, Shamir would've given in regardless... if only to spare herself the torment of listening to the whining. Hand resting on a cocked hip, dark brows furrow in an unreadable expression that vaguely mimics something akin to dissatisfaction; wasting her time on opponents that didn't provide a challenge never was something that she enjoyed. Unfortunately, it happened more often than not. Mercenaries whose bark was far worse than their bite, or men who believed that they could throw her around simply because she was a woman. Thankfully, this was neither of those situations, and it at least made it slightly easier to tolerate. Besides... At least this girl seemed willing to learn from her surroundings. Shamir was, by extension, kind of a professor for the Monastery-- it was rare that she'd step in to host some sort of seminar or official classes, but it wasn't outside of her scope of duties. She had yet to decide whether or not she liked that; teaching technical things and scholarly subjects would never be within her ability, but she could easily guide a student's hand to learn how to properly handle a bow or a dagger. "... Alright. I'll match your wager, then." There's nothing like a harmless bit of gambling, though she's certain some of the other Knights would scold her for engaging in it with a student. She... might return the money, depending on how this competition goes.

Without wasting her breath on another word, Shamir wordlessly motions for the other to follow her as she returns to her post at the shooting range. It's an effortless motion to raise her bow once again, nocking an arrow with practiced ease to start them off for their friendly little contest.

Roll: 1d20 = 5!

Shamir winces as her fingers sting from the repeated motion of pulling the taut string, and that slight shift of movement sends her arrow wide. It doesn't miss the target entirely, but it certainly isn't very close to the center. Embarrassing. She sighs, lowering her weapon before glancing over at Yuzu. "I think you broke my streak."

@craneswings

no secondscoping, please

a duel for the ages!!

[heavy-draw]

The tension in her shoulders relaxes only as Shamir lets loose another arrow-- a sharp whistle sounds in the wake of its path, and a small 'thunk' signifies the fact that it's found its mark. Directly in the center of the target, only shifted to the side by a mere inch... she responds by grimacing slightly, raising her hand to wipe at the sweat dripping from her brow. Though she'd been out here for a while, the mercenary was only now beginning to feel the weight of effort in her muscles. Maybe she should've left earlier. She could've avoided this situation entirely. Violet eyes dart to the side to glance at the unfamiliar archer as she lowers her own bow; for whatever reason, Shamir had the uncanny talent of gathering insufferably persistent people into her life. "I'm not here to compete," She answered in the same flat tone, as matter-of-fact as ever. A hand rests on her hip as Yuzu shuffles closer, and Shamir can't help but to heave a sigh of slight irritation. It's clear that she can't wiggle her way out of this situation entirely, and she briefly entertains the idea of a well-placed strike on the neck to knock her annoying new-found companion out. She wouldn't do that. At least, not these days. "You won't take no for an answer, will you? What's in it for me, then?"

@craneswings

no secondscoping, please

a duel for the ages!!

[heavy-draw]

Shamir's focus is honed in on nothing except the target in front of her-- correction to account for wind speed, a slight adjustment of her arrow to negate the weight that it holds, the rigid stance that remains completely still to ensure that she hits her mark in the dead center... all of it comes crashing down when a loud voice barks at her in an unceremonious manner. She lets out a long hiss of a breath, eyes narrowing as she lowers her weapon to seek out the source of the interruption. It's a face she doesn't recognize, and the approach is certainly far more direct than she would've expected from a stranger. Shamir has had enough mercenaries challenge her to pointless tournaments and duels, and she usually has come out on top-- begrudgingly. It's a waste of time, frankly, and she could spend her time doing something better. Like target practice. That's been interrupted. And a perfect shot that got ruined by someone interjecting into her concentration. "No." A flat, definitive answer. She doesn't particularly care to explain her reasoning or her choice, already slightly peeved that she has to return to her place of focus. It's hard enough to get peace and quiet around the monastery, and even less so when a majority of the training areas are constantly occupied. This is her one chance at silence-- nothing here except her bow and the targets in front of her, allowed to enjoy her serenity for even the briefest of moments. Who are they, anyways? Who do they think they are?

@craneswings

no secondscoping, please

a duel for the ages!!

[craneswings]

“Wonderf-” Yuzu closes her eyes in joy, only to flash them wide open when the two-letter response actually is registered. “No??”

Her pointed sword is lowered, the samurai only now realizes the awkwardness that must've come from aiming her blade during the offer. Even if Yuzu herself must have looked cool while doing it…

With a desperate sigh, she rapidly sheathes her sword and withdraws a lightweight training bow she kept on her person immediately afterwards. Yuzu presents the new equipment in front of her, hoping her real intent can be wordlessly expressed.

“But it is so rare to find masters of the bow so readily displaying such skill. Surely a savant of the bowstring such as yourself would be aware of so.”

Yuzu closes some more distance between her and the purple sniper. She does not worry anymore of being wounded by a stray arrow, as the woman had already wounded her pride enough with her refusal to engage.

“Clearly you are a warrior of virtue… Show me such charity now!”

no secondscoping, please

a duel for the ages!!