Private Finished Shocks and Bites Engulfing Me

Alaude could tell Lochlann wasn't used to this. That was expected; after all, the guy wouldn't ask to train if he were already used to this. And he wouldn't have... he wouldn't have used such an underhanded move at Alaude before. In any case, the sloppy swing came, and Alaude quickly moved his forearm so that it would stop Lochlann's hand, and then slide and guide it to the side, effectively pushing Lochlann's arm away.

He asked Lochlann to do it again and again a few more times, continuously as much as possible, and each time Alaude would move his arm against the attacks without stopping their momentum, instead redirecting them away from him.

Like slicing through water.

"Are you getting this?" Alaude asked after enough demonstrations. "Don't fight the momentum, redirect it away from you. Imagine the attacks as strong waves. You mustn't fight them or you'll only get in trouble. Slice through them smoothly instead. It's closer to dancing than you'd probably think."

He then dropped his arms. "Your turn."

Unlike what Lochlann would probably expect though, Alaude didn't immediately go for a hit. Instead he nodded, and grabbed Lochlann's hands and arms to adjust his position better. And then he told him, "We'll try it slowly first. Do what I did." And then, Alaude moved his arm towards Lochlann from the side. It looked like an attack, but was too slow to actually be one. So more than something dangerous, Alaude's movement might have looked like an elegant stroke of the arm in the air.

And Lochlann was supposed to respond by redirecting it away.

"I don't dance," was Alaude's immediate reaction that might have come too abruptly to sound innocent. It was true though, he didn't dance; he didn't like to dance, and no he wasn't dancing the night before they kissed.

Alaude might have reacted that way more because of the reminder of their kiss. He wasn't sure about Lochlann, though the guy seemed unfazed by it, but Alaude was different. He was secretly embarrassed, he always has been, and he hated it.

He hated it, so he suddenly sent a swift chop under Lochlann's arm, right on his ribs.

"Focus, will you. I'll go faster."

And so he began to move on a normal pace, not quite as quick and dangerous as that chop just now, but quick enough to land hits on Lochlann's openings if the guy wasn't alert enough.

Alaude's eyes visibly widened when his attack was turned into a dance position instead. The fact that Lochlann managed to actually counter him was a good thing, sure, but to do this?? It was not pleasant at all, and the closeness between them yet again managed to bring out a flustered pink on Alaude's face.

He wanted to say something. He wanted to do something, anything, but what Lochlann was saying was beyond something his dishonest self can take, and the fact that he was partially guilty didn't make it any better. He didn't know how to counter this kind of attack. And when he didn't know, he usually went for the most effective tactic to get away.

Being in the waltz position, with his waist held by an arm so close, didn't exactly give him a good opportunity to do that effective tactic. For a moment, Alaude felt stuck.

Feeling stuck was a bad thing. But fortunately, Alaude didn't let himself panic. He stopped, and he looked Lochlann deadly in the eye as he breathed in deeply. And then he swung his free arm over Lochlann's collarbone area, and in one quick movement pushed him down.

Alaude fell with him, but at least he was on top.

"Are you testing my patience?" he asked, whispered, his face so close to Lochlann's and his eyes staring deep into him. That's when Alaude noticed something around Lochlann's neck, something... hard? sharp? He quickly got up and pointed at its general direction. "What's that under your shirt?"

Even if it really was nothing, Alaude was indeed suspicious. What's more, Lochlann actually had something he minded on himself, something he minded enough to quickly hold it the moment Alaude had asked.

Interesting. What more secrets did Lochlann have on him, Alaude wondered; were they going to be as bad as murder?

Alaude might have stiffened a bit remembering that. Still, it was nothing more than a weapon of his own in case Lochlann was going to play with him. On that note, Alaude decided to poke around some more. "It's obviously not nothing," he then said. He stood up and crossed his arms, though his eyes remained where the necklace peeked a little. "Take it off, it might cause some trouble. Take it off and put it away or I will."