Imaginary Attacks from Imaginary Foes

Nodding, he chewed on his lip trying to remember how he saw Ignicio did it to intimidate it..

He did a poor attempt of a round house kick - trousers restricting him and he tripped. Luckily, he caught his footing before he fell flat on his face.

If it was not for the trousers, he could of kicked slightly higher. Defiantly not as high as Ignicio could kick, though. It was possible because of his forever young body, plus horse riding helped. Especially with his last horse being so fat and round.

Ignicio gave the boy an unimpressed look as he stumbled back. Those jodhpurs were terrible. He was not going to be training in them again.

"All right, enough with kicking today. There's no way we're getting anywhere with those trousers on and I think you're a little less than willing to train in the nude." He may be mean at times, but Nicio generally wasn't cruel. Making the boy train nude when he was self-conscious was a cruel thing to do.

"C'mere." He crooked his finger, waiting for Dick to approach him.

Scratching the back of his neck he obeyed Ignicio without a fuss.

He was glad that that he did not have to do any more kicking, considering how ungraceful and sloppy the kick he done was and even more glad that he did not have to do anything without his trousers.

He looked away from the unimpressed look as he walked closer, until he about a couple of feet away from the taller vampire. Looking back up into wine eyes he waited to see what Ignicio was going to make him do next.

"Fighting stance. Now," he ordered.

What sort of stance would the younger prince drop into it?

The usual stance: feet shoulder width apart; hand curled into fists; arms close to his body. That stance was good for either attack or defence. It was the one he usually used.

If he was learning by imitation, Dick would use that stance.

But he may have had his own, underdeveloped fighting style with his own stance.

It took him a little while to respond the the order, feeling his body heat up a little. His brain almost paused for a heartbeat, before he snapped out of his daze.

"S-sure."

Remembering the stance that Ignico was in earlier ago, he tried to copy it. But, like everything else, it was sloppy. Feet not wide having a shoulders space between them, his posture still a bit too straight and hand not clenched enough.

"It's not too terrible."

He circled Dick, coming up behind him, hands resting on his shoulders. "Loosen up."

His feet nudged Dick's apart. "Just a little further apart. Shoulder length or just a little further apart."

The Inchbus' hands curled around the turned vampires. "Fists clenched tight, thumb on the outside of the fingers. You want a night firm fist that isn't going to break your thumb as soon as you punch something."

More heat entered built up in his cheeks as he felt his body be moved slightly. He let his shoulders relax, legs be pushed a little more apart, and hands be put into the proper position - clenched a little more.

Nodding to show he was listening, he felt his mouth go a little dry as his voice escaped him.

"Picture someone in front of you," he murmured. "Someone you hate. Someone you'd quite happily punch the living daylights out of."

His hands slowly slid down the boys arms, down his sides to rest on his hips.

"Visualise them in front of you, standing there defenceless."

His lips curled into a smirk. "Now punch. Aim for the temple or under the chin."

Someone he hated. He had quiet a few choices there. But the first face that appeared in his mind was his uncles - the man he blamed for almost everything.

His simmered down anger rose up again, and he narrowed his eyes at the imaginary figure in front of him. Too tied up in his anger, he was uncaring to the hands resting on his hips.

Almost without prompting, he punched the air, aiming for the chin.

"Good, good," he praised softly, grinning as he watched the boy punch the air.

"Don't let the anger consume you, let it power you. Anger is a powerful source of strength."

"Again." His hands squeezed the boys hips encouragingly. "Use the anger to power the punches you make with a clear head. Don't let the anger guide you."

That had been something he had learnt early on. Anger was good, but not when it was controlling you. If anger controlled you it made you weaker.

Pinking at the praise, he nodded. Taking a slow breath, he tried to calm down a little. Trying to make sure his anger did not get the better of him - something he always knew he had to work on.

Not noticing the squeeze, he punched his uncles 'face' again as he was prompted, braking his uncles jaw a second time round.

In a weird kind of way, it was quiet a stress reliever... Despite the fact it brought up past anger.

"Who do you imagine?" He asked suddenly, curiosity tugging at him to ask.

"It changes. Sometimes it's Robert."

He pulled away from Dick and gave a swift roundhouse to the air where 'Robert' was standing.

"Sometimes my mother." He thrust his hand forwards into 'her' solar plexus.

"And sometimes I picture myself." The Incubus lashed out with three swift punches to 'himself.'

Richard frowned a little. He was not curious about him seeing his family. After all, he was imagining his uncle.

It was the fact the Ignicio was seeing himself is what piped his curiosity.

"Yourself?"

Despite how impressive the display fighting techniques was, Richard looked away and down at his feet, which were drawn back together. For some reason, watching the other Prince made him a little hot under the collar.

"Yes." He back flipped out of the way of an attack 'he' gave then lunged forwards with another punch.

"You're always your worst enemy."

He was a firm believer of that statement. He was always the most cynical to himself, the cruellest. He judged himself far worse than he judged others.

Seeing a wooden stole in the corner of the room, he turned to go over and sit on it. He dusted it of quickly, pulling it out a little so he was in the light.

He was silent for a few minutes after what Ignicio stated, twisting the sliver ring wrapped around his little finger as he thought over what the other vampire said.

Truth to be told, he was a little lost over what Ignicio said. While he did see himself as his worst enemy at times, it was more over what he is then who he is.

"Elaborate."

"I may not be looking, Dick, but I know you're doing it. Get your hand away from that ring before I confiscate it."

He dropped into a sweep kick.

"You're always the person that holds yourself back."

He threw a few fierce punches, growling under his breath. "I'm always the weak link in everything I do." He didn't even notice that he had slipped into talk about himself directly. "All I do is hold people back."

He twisted the ring a few moments more before he interlocked his hands. He began to chew on the inner corners of his mouth instead,

Looking up from his hands, his eyes softened a little unsure of what to say.

Fidgeting in his seat, thinking over a few things he could say.

"I don't think that is quite true. During the time I have known you, I would not say you have pulled anyone back. And I would definitely say you are not the weakest."

He shook his head with a sigh, standing straight and turning to Dick. "Giacinto. I've held her back so many times..."

He sighed and ran a hand through the hair not held back by the band roughly. "I always find a way to screw things up unintentionally."

The Incubus bent to pick up his water bottle again, swigging from it slowly. "I'm surprised she's stayed with me so long. Five hundred years. If I were her, I'd have broken it up so much sooner."

Richard stayed silent, eyes focussing back on his hands as the listened to the other Prince, resisting the urge to twist one of his ringers. Instead, he occupied his hands my scratching the insides of his thumb.

"Maybe you are looking too deeply into things then, if she did not leave you until now? And doesn't everybody 'screw up things unintentionally'? We are only," Pausing, the H at the tip of his tongue, he remembered they were not 'only human'. He began to think of a different replacement, trying to avoid the obvious one, only to fail. "vampires."

"Many people may not agree, but Giacinto is a truly kind woman." His shoulders slumped with a heavy sigh. "She's a woman that'll give you as many chances as you need."

Most people saw the darker side of her - the stubborn bitch that wouldn't let you get away with anything - and cried bullshit to how the Incubus explained his ex-mate.

"I could almost kill her accidentally and she'd still keep me around." He hated that about her. No matter what he did, she'd always be there to tell him it was okay and he'd have another shot.

"I'm a pure blood, Dick. A prince at that. I'm not allowed to make mistakes." What would his mother say, or rather scream, at him if she caught wind of any of his numerous mistakes?

Richard fell silent again, fingers unlocking but not twisting either of his rings.

While he never considered himself to know much about Giacinto, or even to be that close to her despite how long he knew her, he would agree that she was one to give chances.

His brows twitched together again in thought, and he chewed on his lip before slowly stating to talk again.

"Sure, you are not allowed to make mistakes, but." He stopped talking, rethinking he words over before speaking again, licking his lip and twisting his ring. "But, like I said, it still happens. Whether you are a pure blood prince or not... I am sure your mother and father have made a few."